Quantization for different color sampling schemes

ABSTRACT

A video coding or decoding method operable to generate blocks of quantised spatial frequency data by quantising the video data according to a selected quantisation step size and a matrix of data modifying the quantisation step size for use at different respective block positions within an ordered block of samples, the method being operable with respect to at least two different chrominance subsampling formats.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.14/396,190, filed on Oct. 22, 2014, which is a National Stageapplication of International Application No. PCT/GB2013/050903, filed onApr. 8, 2013, which claims the benefit of the earlier filing date ofGB1211069.8 and GB 1207459.7 filed in the United Kingdom IntellectualProperty Office on Jun. 22, 2012 and Apr. 26, 2012 respectively, theentire contents of which applications are incorporated herein byreference.

BACKGROUND Field

This disclosure relates to data encoding and decoding.

Description of Related Art

The “background” description provided herein is for the purpose ofgenerally presenting the context of the disclosure. Work of thepresently named inventors, to the extent it is described in thisbackground section, as well as aspects of the description which may nototherwise qualify as prior art at the time of filing, is neitherexpressly or impliedly admitted as prior art against the presentdisclosure.

There are several video data encoding and decoding systems which involvetransforming video data into a frequency domain representation,quantising the frequency domain coefficients and then applying some formof entropy encoding to the quantised coefficients. This can achievecompression of the video data. A corresponding decoding or decompressiontechnique is applied to recover a reconstructed version of the originalvideo data.

Current video codecs (coder-decoders) such as those used in H.264/MPEG-4Advanced Video Coding (AVC) achieve data compression primarily by onlyencoding the differences between successive video frames. These codecsuse a regular array of so-called macroblocks, each of which is used as aregion of comparison with a corresponding macroblock in a previous videoframe, and the image region within the macroblock is then encodedaccording to the degree of motion found between the correspondingcurrent and previous macroblocks in the video sequence, or betweenneighbouring macroblocks within a single frame of the video sequence.

High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC), also known as H.265 or MPEG-H Part2, is a proposed successor to H.264/MPEG-4 AVC. It is intended for HEVCto improve video quality and double the data compression ratio comparedto H.264, and for it to be scalable from 128×96 to 7680×4320 pixelsresolution, roughly equivalent to bit rates ranging from 128 kbit/s to800 Mbit/s.

In HEVC a so-called 4:2:0 block structure is proposed for consumerequipment, in which the amount of data used in each chroma channel isone quarter that in the luma channel. This is because subjectivelypeople are more sensitive to brightness variations than to colourvariations, and so it is possible to use greater compression and/or lessinformation in the colour channels without a subjective loss of quality.

HEVC replaces the macroblocks found in existing H.264 and MPEG standardswith a more flexible scheme based upon coding units (CUs), which arevariable size structures.

Consequently, when encoding the image data in video frames, the CU sizescan be selected responsive to the apparent image complexity or detectedmotion levels, instead of using uniformly distributed macroblocks.Consequently far greater compression can be achieved in regions withlittle motion between frames and with little variation within a frame,whilst better image quality can be preserved in areas of highinter-frame motion or image complexity.

Each CU contains one or more variable-block-sized prediction units (PUs)of either intra-picture or inter-picture prediction type, and one ormore transform units (TUs) which contain coefficients for spatial blocktransform and quantisation.

Moreover, PU and TU blocks are provided for each of three channels; luma(Y), being a luminance or brightness channel, and which may be thoughtof as a greyscale channel, and two colour difference or chrominance(chroma) channels; Cb and Cr. These channels provide the colour for thegreyscale image of the luma channel. The terms Y, luminance and luma areused interchangeably in this description, and similarly the terms Cb andCr, chrominance and chroma, are used interchangeably as appropriate,noting that chrominance or chroma can be used generically for “one orboth of Cr and Cb”, whereas when a specific chrominance channel is beingdiscussed it will be identified by the term Cb or Cr.

Generally PUs are considered to be channel independent, except that a PUhas a luma part and a chroma part. Generally, this means that thesamples forming part of the PU for each channel represent the sameregion of the image, so that there is a fixed relationship between thePUs between the three channels. For example, for 4:2:0 video, an 8×8 PUfor Luma always has a corresponding 4×4 PU for chroma, with the chromaparts of the PU representing the same area as the luma part, butcontaining a smaller number of pixels because of the subsampled natureof the 4:2:0 chroma data compared to the luma data in 4:2:0 video. Thetwo chroma channels share intra-prediction information; and the threechannels share inter-prediction information. Similarly, the TU structurealso has a fixed relationship between the three channels.

However, for professional broadcast and digital cinema equipment, it isdesirable to have less compression (or more information) in the chromachannels, and this may affect how current and proposed HEVC processingoperates.

SUMMARY

The present disclosure addresses or mitigates problems arising from thisprocessing.

Respective aspects and features of the present disclosure are defined inthe appended claims.

It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description andthe following detailed description are exemplary, but are notrestrictive, of the present technology.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A more complete appreciation of the disclosure and many of the attendantadvantages thereof will be readily obtained as the same becomes betterunderstood by reference to the following detailed description whenconsidered in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 schematically illustrates an audio/video (AN) data transmissionand reception system using video data compression and decompression;

FIG. 2 schematically illustrates a video display system using video datadecompression;

FIG. 3 schematically illustrates an audio/video storage system usingvideo data compression and decompression;

FIG. 4 schematically illustrates a video camera using video datacompression;

FIG. 5 provides a schematic overview of a video data compression anddecompression apparatus;

FIG. 6 schematically illustrates the generation of predicted images;

FIG. 7 schematically illustrates a largest coding unit (LCU);

FIG. 8 schematically illustrates a set of four coding units (CU);

FIGS. 9 and 10 schematically illustrate the coding units of FIG. 8sub-divided into smaller coding units;

FIG. 11 schematically illustrates an array of prediction units (PU);

FIG. 12 schematically illustrates an array of transform units (TU);

FIG. 13 schematically illustrates a partially-encoded image;

FIG. 14 schematically illustrates a set of possible intra-predictiondirections;

FIG. 15 schematically illustrates a set of prediction modes;

FIG. 16 schematically illustrates an up-right diagonal scan;

FIG. 17 schematically illustrates a video compression apparatus;

FIGS. 18a and 18b schematically illustrate possible block sizes;

FIG. 19 schematically illustrates the use of co-located information fromchroma and luma blocks;

FIG. 20 schematically illustrates a situation in which co-locatedinformation from one chroma channel is used in respect of another chromachannel;

FIG. 21 schematically illustrates pixels used for an LM-CHROMA mode;

FIG. 22 schematically illustrates a set of luma prediction directions;

FIG. 23 schematically illustrates the directions of FIG. 22, as appliedto a horizontally sparse chroma channel;

FIG. 24 schematically illustrates the directions of FIG. 22 mapped to arectangular chroma pixel array;

FIGS. 25-28 schematically illustrate luma and chroma pixelinterpolation;

FIGS. 29a and 29b schematically illustrate quantisation parameter tablesfor 4:2:0 and 4:2:2 respectively;

FIG. 29c schematically illustrates variations to the quantisationparameter tables of FIGS. 29a and 29 b;

FIGS. 30 and 31 schematically illustrate quantisation variation tables;and

FIG. 32 to 34 schematically illustrate methods of modifying quantisationmatrices (scaling lists).

DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

Referring now to the drawings, FIGS. 1-4 are provided to give schematicillustrations of apparatus or systems making use of the compressionand/or decompression apparatus to be described below in connection withembodiments of the present technology.

All of the data compression and/or decompression apparatus to bedescribed below may be implemented in hardware, in software running on ageneral-purpose data processing apparatus such as a general-purposecomputer, as programmable hardware such as an application specificintegrated circuit (ASIC) or field programmable gate array (FPGA) or ascombinations of these. In cases where the embodiments are implemented bysoftware and/or firmware, it will be appreciated that such softwareand/or firmware, and non-transitory data storage media by which suchsoftware and/or firmware are stored or otherwise provided, areconsidered as embodiments of the present technology.

FIG. 1 schematically illustrates an audio/video data transmission andreception system using video data compression and decompression.

An input audio/video signal 10 is supplied to a video data compressionapparatus 20 which compresses at least the video component of theaudio/video signal 10 for transmission along a transmission route 30such as a cable, an optical fibre, a wireless link or the like. Thecompressed signal is processed by a decompression apparatus 40 toprovide an output audio/video signal 50. For the return path, acompression apparatus 60 compresses an audio/video signal fortransmission along the transmission route 30 to a decompressionapparatus 70.

The compression apparatus 20 and decompression apparatus 70 cantherefore form one node of a transmission link. The decompressionapparatus 40 and decompression apparatus 60 can form another node of thetransmission link. Of course, in instances where the transmission linkis uni-directional, only one of the nodes would require a compressionapparatus and the other node would only require a decompressionapparatus.

FIG. 2 schematically illustrates a video display system using video datadecompression. In particular, a compressed audio/video signal 100 isprocessed by a decompression apparatus 110 to provide a decompressedsignal which can be displayed on a display 120. The decompressionapparatus 110 could be implemented as an integral part of the display120, for example being provided within the same casing as the displaydevice. Alternatively, the decompression apparatus 110 may be providedas (for example) a so-called set top box (STB), noting that theexpression “set-top” does not imply a requirement for the box to besited in any particular orientation or position with respect to thedisplay 120; it is simply a term used in the art to indicate a devicewhich is connectable to a display as a peripheral device.

FIG. 3 schematically illustrates an audio/video storage system usingvideo data compression and decompression. An input audio/video signal130 is supplied to a compression apparatus 140 which generates acompressed signal for storing by a store device 150 such as a magneticdisk device, an optical disk device, a magnetic tape device, a solidstate storage device such as a semiconductor memory or other storagedevice. For replay, compressed data is read from the store device 150and passed to a decompression apparatus 160 for decompression to providean output audio/video signal 170.

It will be appreciated that the compressed or encoded signal, and astorage medium storing that signal, are considered as embodiments of thepresent technology.

FIG. 4 schematically illustrates a video camera using video datacompression. In FIG. 4, an image capture device 180, such as a chargecoupled device (CCD) image sensor and associated control and read-outelectronics, generates a video signal which is passed to a compressionapparatus 190. A microphone (or plural microphones) 200 generates anaudio signal to be passed to the compression apparatus 190. Thecompression apparatus 190 generates a compressed audio/video signal 210to be stored and/or transmitted (shown generically as a schematic stage220).

The techniques to be described below relate primarily to video datacompression and decompression. It will be appreciated that many existingtechniques may be used for audio data compression in conjunction withthe video data compression techniques which will be described, togenerate a compressed audio/video signal. Accordingly, a separatediscussion of audio data compression will not be provided. It will alsobe appreciated that the data rate associated with video data, inparticular broadcast quality video data, is generally very much higherthan the data rate associated with audio data (whether compressed oruncompressed). It will therefore be appreciated that uncompressed audiodata could accompany compressed video data to form a compressedaudio/video signal. It will further be appreciated that although thepresent examples (shown in FIGS. 1-4) relate to audio/video data, thetechniques to be described below can find use in a system which simplydeals with (that is to say, compresses, decompresses, stores, displaysand/or transmits) video data. That is to say, the embodiments can applyto video data compression without necessarily having any associatedaudio data handling at all.

FIG. 5 provides a schematic overview of a video data compression anddecompression apparatus.

A controller 343 controls the overall operation of the apparatus and, inparticular when referring to a compression mode, controls the trialencoding processes (to be described below) to select various modes ofoperation such as CU, PU and TU block sizes.

Successive images of an input video signal 300 are supplied to an adder310 and to an image predictor 320. The image predictor 320 will bedescribed below in more detail with reference to FIG. 6. The adder 310in fact performs a subtraction (negative addition) operation, in that itreceives the input video signal 300 on a “+” input and the output of theimage predictor 320 on a “−” input, so that the predicted image issubtracted from the input image. The result is to generate a so-calledresidual image signal 330 representing the difference between the actualand projected images.

One reason why a residual image signal is generated is as follows. Thedata coding techniques to be described, that is to say the techniqueswhich will be applied to the residual image signal, tend to work moreefficiently when there is less “energy” in the image to be encoded.Here, the term “efficiently” refers to the generation of a small amountof encoded data; for a particular image quality level, it is desirable(and considered “efficient”) to generate as little data as ispracticably possible. The reference to “energy” in the residual imagerelates to the amount of information contained in the residual image. Ifthe predicted image were to be identical to the real image, thedifference between the two (that is to say, the residual image) wouldcontain zero information (zero energy) and would be very easy to encodeinto a small amount of encoded data. In general, if the predictionprocess can be made to work reasonably well, the expectation is that theresidual image data will contain less information (less energy) than theinput image and so will be easier to encode into a small amount ofencoded data.

The residual image data 330 is supplied to a transform unit 340 whichgenerates a discrete cosine transform (DCT) representation of theresidual image data. The DCT technique itself is well known and will notbe described in detail here. There are however aspects of the techniquesused in the present apparatus which will be described in more detailbelow, in particular relating to the selection of different blocks ofdata to which the DCT operation is applied. These will be discussed withreference to FIGS. 7-12 below.

The output of the transform unit 340, which is to say, a set of DCTcoefficients for each transformed block of image data, is supplied to aquantiser 350. Various quantisation techniques are known in the field ofvideo data compression, ranging from a simple multiplication by aquantisation scaling factor through to the application of complicatedlookup tables under the control of a quantisation parameter. The generalaim is twofold. Firstly, the quantisation process reduces the number ofpossible values of the transformed data. Secondly, the quantisationprocess can increase the likelihood that values of the transformed dataare zero. Both of these can make the entropy encoding process, to bedescribed below, work more efficiently in generating small amounts ofcompressed video data.

A data scanning process is applied by a scan unit 360. The purpose ofthe scanning process is to reorder the quantised transformed data so asto gather as many as possible of the non-zero quantised transformedcoefficients together, and of course therefore to gather as many aspossible of the zero-valued coefficients together. These features canallow so-called run-length coding or similar techniques to be appliedefficiently. So, the scanning process involves selecting coefficientsfrom the quantised transformed data, and in particular from a block ofcoefficients corresponding to a block of image data which has beentransformed and quantised, according to a “scanning order” so that (a)all of the coefficients are selected once as part of the scan, and (b)the scan tends to provide the desired reordering. One example scanningorder which can tend to give useful results is a so-called uprightdiagonal scanning order.

The scanned coefficients are then passed to an entropy encoder (EE) 370.Again, various types of entropy encoding may be used. Two examples arevariants of the so-called CABAC (Context Adaptive Binary ArithmeticCoding) system and variants of the so-called CAVLC (Context AdaptiveVariable-Length Coding) system. In general terms, CABAC is considered toprovide a better efficiency, and in some studies has been shown toprovide a 10-20% reduction in the quantity of encoded output data for acomparable image quality compared to CAVLC. However, CAVLC is consideredto represent a much lower level of complexity (in terms of itsimplementation) than CABAC. Note that the scanning process and theentropy encoding process are shown as separate processes, but in factcan be combined or treated together. That is to say, the reading of datainto the entropy encoder can take place in the scan order. Correspondingconsiderations apply to the respective inverse processes to be describedbelow. Note that the current HEVC documents under consideration at thetime of filing no longer include the possibility of a CAVLC coefficientencoder.

The output of the entropy encoder 370, along with additional data(mentioned above and/or discussed below), for example defining themanner in which the predictor 320 generated the predicted image,provides a compressed output video signal 380.

However, a return path is also provided because the operation of thepredictor 320 itself depends upon a decompressed version of thecompressed output data.

The reason for this feature is as follows. At the appropriate stage inthe decompression process (to be described below) a decompressed versionof the residual data is generated. This decompressed residual data hasto be added to a predicted image to generate an output image (becausethe original residual data was the difference between the input imageand a predicted image). In order that this process is comparable, asbetween the compression side and the decompression side, the predictedimages generated by the predictor 320 should be the same during thecompression process and during the decompression process. Of course, atdecompression, the apparatus does not have access to the original inputimages, but only to the decompressed images. Therefore, at compression,the predictor 320 bases its prediction (at least, for inter-imageencoding) on decompressed versions of the compressed images.

The entropy encoding process carried out by the entropy encoder 370 isconsidered to be “lossless”, which is to say that it can be reversed toarrive at exactly the same data which was first supplied to the entropyencoder 370. So, the return path can be implemented before the entropyencoding stage. Indeed, the scanning process carried out by the scanunit 360 is also considered lossless, but in the present embodiment thereturn path 390 is from the output of the quantiser 350 to the input ofa complimentary inverse quantiser 420.

In general terms, an entropy decoder 410, the reverse scan unit 400, aninverse quantiser 420 and an inverse transform unit 430 provide therespective inverse functions of the entropy encoder 370, the scan unit360, the quantiser 350 and the transform unit 340. For now, thediscussion will continue through the compression process; the process todecompress an input compressed video signal will be discussed separatelybelow.

In the compression process, the scanned coefficients are passed by thereturn path 390 from the quantiser 350 to the inverse quantiser 420which carries out the inverse operation of the scan unit 360. An inversequantisation and inverse transformation process are carried out by theunits 420, 430 to generate a compressed-decompressed residual imagesignal 440.

The image signal 440 is added, at an adder 450, to the output of thepredictor 320 to generate a reconstructed output image 460. This formsone input to the image predictor 320, as will be described below.

Turning now to the process applied to decompress a received compressedvideo signal 470, the signal is supplied to the entropy decoder 410 andfrom there to the chain of the reverse scan unit 400, the inversequantiser 420 and the inverse transform unit 430 before being added tothe output of the image predictor 320 by the adder 450. Instraightforward terms, the output 460 of the adder 450 forms the outputdecompressed video signal 480. In practice, further filtering may beapplied before the signal is output.

So, the apparatus of FIGS. 5 and 6 can act as a compression apparatus ora decompression apparatus. The functions of the two types of apparatusoverlap very heavily. The scan unit 360 and entropy encoder 370 are notused in a decompression mode, and the operation of the predictor 320(which will be described in detail below) and other units follow modeand parameter information contained in the received compressed bitstreamrather than generating such information themselves.

FIG. 6 schematically illustrates the generation of predicted images, andin particular the operation of the image predictor 320.

There are two basic modes of prediction: so-called intra-imageprediction and so-called inter-image, or motion-compensated (MC),prediction.

Intra-image prediction bases a prediction of the content of a block ofthe image on data from within the same image. This corresponds toso-called I-frame encoding in other video compression techniques. Incontrast to I-frame encoding, where the whole image is intra-encoded, inthe present embodiments the choice between intra- and inter-encoding canbe made on a block-by-block basis, though in other embodiments thechoice is still made on an image-by-image basis.

Motion-compensated prediction is an example of inter-image predictionand makes use of motion information which attempts to define the source,in another adjacent or nearby image, of image detail to be encoded inthe current image. Accordingly, in an ideal example, the contents of ablock of image data in the predicted image can be encoded very simply asa reference (a motion vector) pointing to a corresponding block at thesame or a slightly different position in an adjacent image.

Returning to FIG. 6, two image prediction arrangements (corresponding tointra- and inter-image prediction) are shown, the results of which areselected by a multiplexer 500 under the control of a mode signal 510 soas to provide blocks of the predicted image for supply to the adders 310and 450. The choice is made in dependence upon which selection gives thelowest “energy” (which, as discussed above, may be considered asinformation content requiring encoding), and the choice is signalled tothe encoder within the encoded output datastream. Image energy, in thiscontext, can be detected, for example, by carrying out a trialsubtraction of an area of the two versions of the predicted image fromthe input image, squaring each pixel value of the difference image,summing the squared values, and identifying which of the two versionsgives rise to the lower mean squared value of the difference imagerelating to that image area.

The actual prediction, in the intra-encoding system, is made on thebasis of image blocks received as part of the signal 460, which is tosay, the prediction is based upon encoded-decoded image blocks in orderthat exactly the same prediction can be made at a decompressionapparatus. However, data can be derived from the input video signal 300by an intra-mode selector 520 to control the operation of theintra-image predictor 530.

For inter-image prediction, a motion compensated (MC) predictor 540 usesmotion information such as motion vectors derived by a motion estimator550 from the input video signal 300. Those motion vectors are applied toa processed version of the reconstructed image 460 by the motioncompensated predictor 540 to generate blocks of the inter-imageprediction.

The processing applied to the signal 460 will now be described. Firstly,the signal is filtered by a filter unit 560, which will be describe ingreater detail below. This involves applying a “deblocking” filter toremove or at least tend to reduce the effects of the block-basedprocessing carried out by the transform unit 340 and subsequentoperations. A sample adaptive offsetting (SAO) filter (described furtherbelow) may also be used. Also, an adaptive loop filter might be appliedusing coefficients derived by processing the reconstructed signal 460and the input video signal 300. The adaptive loop filter is a type offilter which, using known techniques, applies adaptive filtercoefficients to the data to be filtered. That is to say, the filtercoefficients can vary in dependence upon various factors. Data definingwhich filter coefficients to use is included as part of the encodedoutput datastream.

Adaptive filtering represents in-loop filtering for image restoration.An LCU can be filtered by up to 16 filters, with a choice of filter andan ALF on/off status (adaptive loop filter—see below) being derived inrespect of each CU within the LCU. Currently the control is at the LCUlevel, not the CU level. Note that ALF may be omitted from someembodiments.

The filtered output from the filter unit 560 in fact forms the outputvideo signal 480 when the apparatus is operating as a compressionapparatus. It is also buffered in one or more image or frame stores 570;the storage of successive images is a requirement of motion compensatedprediction processing, and in particular the generation of motionvectors. To save on storage requirements, the stored images in the imagestores 570 may be held in a compressed form and then decompressed foruse in generating motion vectors. For this particular purpose, any knowncompression/decompression system may be used. The stored images arepassed to an interpolation filter 580 which generates a higherresolution version of the stored images; in this example, intermediatesamples (sub-samples) are generated such that the resolution of theinterpolated image is output by the interpolation filter 580 is 4 times(in each dimension) that of the images stored in the image stores 570for the luminance channel of 4:2:0 and 8 times (in each dimension) thatof the images stored in the image stores 570 for the chrominancechannels of 4:2:0. The interpolated images are passed as an input to themotion estimator 550 and also to the motion compensated predictor 540.

In embodiments, a further optional stage is provided, which is tomultiply the data values of the input video signal by a factor of fourusing a multiplier 600 (effectively just shifting the data values leftby two bits), and to apply a corresponding divide operation (shift rightby two bits) at the output of the apparatus using a divider orright-shifter 610. So, the shifting left and shifting right changes thedata purely for the internal operation of the apparatus. This measurecan provide for higher calculation accuracy within the apparatus, as theeffect of any data rounding errors is reduced.

The way in which an image is partitioned for compression processing willnow be described. At a basic level, an image to be compressed isconsidered as an array of blocks of samples. For the purposes of thepresent discussion, the largest such block under consideration is aso-called largest coding unit (LCU) 700 (FIG. 7), which represents asquare array of typically 64×64 samples (the LCU size is configurable bythe encoder, up to a maximum size such as defined by the HEVCdocuments). Here, the discussion relates to luminance samples. Dependingon the chrominance mode, such as 4:4:4, 4:2:2, 4:2:0 or 4:4:4:4 (GBRplus key data), there will be differing numbers of correspondingchrominance samples corresponding to the luminance block.

Three basic types of blocks will be described: coding units, predictionunits and transform units. In general terms, the recursive subdividingof the LCUs allows an input picture to be partitioned in such a way thatboth the block sizes and the block coding parameters (such as predictionor residual coding modes) can be set according to the specificcharacteristics of the image to be encoded.

The LCU may be subdivided into so-called coding units (CU). Coding unitsare always square and have a size between 8×8 samples and the full sizeof the LCU 700. The coding units can be arranged as a kind of treestructure, so that a first subdivision may take place as shown in FIG.8, giving coding units 710 of 32×32 samples; subsequent subdivisions maythen take place on a selective basis so as to give some coding units 720of 16×16 samples (FIG. 9) and potentially some coding units 730 of 8×8samples (FIG. 10). Overall, this process can provide a content-adaptingcoding tree structure of CU blocks, each of which may be as large as theLCU or as small as 8×8 samples. Encoding of the output video data takesplace on the basis of the coding unit structure, which is to say thatone LCU is encoded, and then the process moves to the next LCU, and soon.

FIG. 11 schematically illustrates an array of prediction units (PU). Aprediction unit is a basic unit for carrying information relating to theimage prediction processes, or in other words the additional data addedto the entropy encoded residual image data to form the output videosignal from the apparatus of FIG. 5. In general, prediction units arenot restricted to being square in shape. They can take other shapes, inparticular rectangular shapes forming half of one of the square codingunits (for example, 8×8 CUs can have 8×4 or 4×8 PUs). Employing PUswhich align to image features is not a compulsory part of the HEVCsystem, but the general aim would be to allow a good encoder to alignthe boundary of adjacent prediction units to match (as closely aspossible) the boundary of real objects in the picture, so that differentprediction parameters can be applied to different real objects. Eachcoding unit may contain one or more prediction units.

FIG. 12 schematically illustrates an array of transform units (TU). Atransform unit is a basic unit of the transform and quantisationprocess. Transform units may or may not be square and can take a sizefrom 4×4 up to 32×32 samples. Each coding unit can contain one or moretransform units. The acronym SDIP-P in FIG. 12 signifies a so-calledshort distance intra-prediction partition. In this arrangement only onedimensional transforms are used, so a 4×N block is passed through Ntransforms with input data to the transforms being based upon thepreviously decoded neighbouring blocks and the previously decodedneighbouring lines within the current SDIP-P. SDIP-P is currently notincluded in HEVC at the time of filing the present application.

As mentioned above, coding takes place as one LCU, then a next LCU, andso on. Within an LCU, coding is carried out CU by CU. Within a CU,coding is carried out for one TU, then a next TU and so on.

The intra-prediction process will now be discussed. In general terms,intra-prediction involves generating a prediction of a current block (aprediction unit) of samples from previously-encoded and decoded samplesin the same image. FIG. 13 schematically illustrates a partially encodedimage 800. Here, the image is being encoded from top-left tobottom-right on an LCU basis. An example LCU encoded partway through thehandling of the whole image is shown as a block 810. A shaded region 820above and to the left of the block 810 has already been encoded. Theintra-image prediction of the contents of the block 810 can make use ofany of the shaded area 820 but cannot make use of the unshaded areabelow that. Note however that for an individual TU within the currentLCU, the hierarchical order of encoding (CU by CU then TU by TU)discussed above means that there may be previously encoded samples inthe current LCU and available to the coding of that TU which are, forexample, above-right or below-left of that TU.

The block 810 represents an LCU; as discussed above, for the purposes ofintra-image prediction processing, this may be subdivided into a set ofsmaller prediction units and transform units. An example of a current TU830 is shown within the LCU 810.

The intra-image prediction takes into account samples coded prior to thecurrent TU being considered, such as those above and/or to the left ofthe current TU. Source samples, from which the required samples arepredicted, may be located at different positions or directions relativeto the current TU. To decide which direction is appropriate for acurrent prediction unit, the mode selector 520 of an example encoder maytest all combinations of available TU structures for each candidatedirection and select the PU direction and TU structure with the bestcompression-efficiency.

The picture may also be encoded on a “slice” basis. In one example, aslice is a horizontally adjacent group of LCUs. But in more generalterms, the entire residual image could form a slice, or a slice could bea single LCU, or a slice could be a row of LCUs, and so on. Slices cangive some resilience to errors as they are encoded as independent units.The encoder and decoder states are completely reset at a slice boundary.For example, intra-prediction is not carried out across sliceboundaries; slice boundaries are treated as image boundaries for thispurpose.

FIG. 14 schematically illustrates a set of possible (candidate)prediction directions. The full set of 34 candidate directions isavailable to a prediction unit of 8×8, 16×16 or 32×32 samples. Thespecial cases of prediction unit sizes of 4×4 and 64×64 samples have areduced set of candidate directions available to them (17 candidatedirections and 5 candidate directions respectively). The directions aredetermined by horizontal and vertical displacement relative to a currentblock position, but are encoded as prediction “modes”, a set of which isshown in FIG. 15. Note that the so-called DC mode represents a simplearithmetic mean of the surrounding upper and left-hand samples.

FIG. 16 schematically illustrates a so-called up-right diagonal scan,being an example scan pattern which may be applied by the scan unit 360.In FIG. 16, the pattern is shown for an example block of 8×8 DCTcoefficients, with the DC coefficient being positioned at the top leftposition 840 of the block, and increasing horizontal and verticalspatial frequencies being represented by coefficients at increasingdistances downwards and to the right of the top-left position 840. Otheralternative scan orders may be used instead.

Variations of the block arrangements and of the CU, PU and TU structureswill be discussed below. These will be discussed in the context of theapparatus of FIG. 17, which is similar in many respects to thatillustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6 discussed above. Indeed, many of the samereference numerals have been used, and these parts will not be discussedfurther.

The main substantive differences with respect to FIGS. 5 and 6 relate tothe filter 560 (FIG. 6), which in FIG. 17 is shown in more detail ascomprising a deblocking filter 1000 and associated encoding decisionblock 1030, a sample adaptive offsetting (SAO) filter 1010 andassociated coefficient generator 1040, and an adaptive loop filter (ALF)1020 and associated coefficient generator 1050.

The deblocking filter 1000 attempts to reduce distortion and to improvevisual quality and prediction performance by smoothing the sharp edgeswhich can form between CU, PU and TU boundaries when block codingtechniques are used.

The SAO filter 1010 classifies reconstructed pixels into differentcategories and then attempts to reduce distortion by simply adding anoffset for each category of pixels. The pixel intensity and edgeproperties are used for pixel classification. To further improve thecoding efficiency, a picture can be divided into regions forlocalization of offset parameters.

The ALF 1020 attempts to restore the compressed picture such that thedifference between the reconstructed and source frames is minimized. Thecoefficients of ALF are calculated and transmitted on a frame basis. TheALF can be applied to the entire frame or to local areas.

As noted above, the proposed HEVC documents use a particular chromasampling scheme known as the 4:2:0 scheme. The 4:2:0 scheme can be usedfor domestic/consumer equipment. However, several other schemes arepossible.

In particular, a so-called 4:4:4 scheme would be suitable forprofessional broadcasting, mastering and digital cinema, and inprinciple would have the highest quality and data rate.

Similarly, a so-called 4:2:2 scheme could be used in professionalbroadcasting, mastering and digital cinema with some loss of fidelity.

These schemes and their corresponding possible PU and TU blockstructures are described below.

In addition, other schemes include the 4:0:0 monochrome scheme.

In the 4:4:4 scheme, each of the three Y, Cb and Cr channels have thesame sample rate. In principle therefore, in this scheme there would betwice as much chroma data as luma data.

Hence in HEVC, in this scheme each of the three Y, Cb and Cr channelswould have corresponding PU and TU blocks that are the same size; forexample an 8×8 luma block would have corresponding 8×8 chroma blocks foreach of the two chroma channels.

Consequently in this scheme there would generally be a direct 1:1relationship between block sizes in each channel.

In the 4:2:2 scheme, the two chroma components are sampled at half thesample rate of luma (for example using vertical or horizontalsubsampling, but for the purposes of the present description, horizontalsubsampling is assumed). In principle therefore, in this scheme therewould be as much chroma data as luma data, though the chroma data wouldbe split between the two chroma channels.

Hence in HEVC, in this scheme the Cb and Cr channels would havedifferent size PU and TU blocks to the luma channel; for example an 8×8luma block could have corresponding 4 wide×8 high chroma blocks for eachchroma channel.

Notably therefore in this scheme the chroma blocks could be non-square,even though they correspond to square luma blocks.

In the currently proposed HEVC 4:2:0 scheme, the two chroma componentsare sampled at a quarter of the sample rate of luma (for example usingvertical and horizontal subsampling). In principle therefore, in thisscheme there is half as much chroma data as luma data, the chroma databeing split between the two chroma channels.

Hence in HEVC, in this scheme again the Cb and Cr channels havedifferent size PU and TU blocks to the luma channel. For example an 8×8luma block would have corresponding 4×4 chroma blocks for each chromachannel.

The above schemes are colloquially known in the art as ‘channel ratios’,as in ‘a 4:2:0 channel ratio’; however it will be appreciated from theabove description that in fact this does not always mean that the Y, Cband Cr channels are compressed or otherwise provided in that ratio.Hence whilst referred to as a channel ratio, this should not be assumedto be literal. In fact, the correct ratios for the 4:2:0 scheme are4:1:1 (the ratios for the 4:2:2 scheme and 4:4:4 scheme are in factcorrect).

Before discussing particular arrangements with reference to FIGS. 18aand 18b , some general terminology will be summarised or revisited.

A Largest Coding Unit (LCU) is a root picture object Typically, itcovers the area equivalent to 64×64 luma pixels. It is recursively splitto form a tree-hierarchy of Coding Units (CUs). In general terms, thethree channels (one luma channel and two chroma channels) have the sameCU tree-hierarchy. Having said this, however, depending upon the channelratio, a particular luma CU may comprise a different number of pixels tothe corresponding chroma CUs.

The CUs at the end of the tree-hierarchy, which is to say, the smallestCUs resulting from the recursive splitting process (which may bereferred to as leaf CUs) are then split into Prediction Units (PUs). Thethree channels (luma and two chroma channels) have the same PUstructure, except when the corresponding PU for a chroma channel wouldhave too few samples, in which case just one PU for that channel isavailable. This is configurable, but commonly the minimum dimension ofan intra PU is 4 samples; the minimum dimension of an inter PU is 4 lumasamples (or 2 chroma samples for 4:2:0). The restriction on the minimumCU size always is large enough for at least one PU for any channel.

The leaf CUs are also split into Transform Units (TUs). The TUs can—and,when they are too big (for example, over 32×32 samples), must—be splitinto further TUs. A limit is applied so that TUs can be split down to amaximum tree depth, currently configured as 2 levels. i.e. there can beno more than 16 TUs for each CU. An illustrative smallest allowable TUsize is 4×4 samples and the largest allowable TU size is 32×32 samples.Again, the three channels have the same TU structure wherever possible,but if a TU cannot be split to a particular depth for a given channeldue to the size restriction, it remains at the larger size. Theso-called non-square quad-tree transform arrangement (NSQT) is similar,but the method of splitting into four TUs need not be 2×2, but can be4×1 or 1×4.

Referring to FIGS. 18a and 18b , the different block sizes possible aresummarised for CU, PU and TU blocks, with ‘Y’ referring to luma blocksand ‘C’ referring in a generic sense to a representative one of thechroma blocks, and the numbers referring to pixels. ‘Inter’ refers tointer-frame prediction PUs (as opposed to intra-frame prediction PUs).In many cases, only the block sizes for the luma blocks are shown. Thecorresponding sizes of the associated chroma blocks are related to theluma block sizes according to the channel ratios. So, for 4:4:4, thechroma channels have the same block sizes as the luma blocks shown inFIGS. 18a and 18b . For 4:2:2 and 4:2:0, the chroma blocks will eachhave fewer pixels than the corresponding luma block, according to thechannel ratio.

The arrangements shown in FIGS. 18a and 18b concern four possible CUsizes: 64×64, 32×32, 16×16 and 8×8 luma pixels respectively. Each ofthese CUs has a corresponding row of PU options (shown in a column 1140)and TU options (shown in a column 1150). For the possible CU sizesdefined above, the rows of options are referenced as 1100, 1110, 1120and 1130 respectively.

Note that 64×64 is currently a maximum CU size but this restrictioncould change.

Within each row 1100 . . . 1130, different PU options are shownapplicable to that CU size. The TU options applicable to those PUconfigurations are shown horizontally aligned with the respective PUoption(s).

Note that in several cases, multiple PU options are provided. Asdiscussed above, the aim of the apparatus in selecting a PUconfiguration is to match (as closely as possible) the boundary of realobjects in the picture, so that different prediction parameters can beapplied to different real objects.

The block sizes and shapes and PUs are an encoder based decision, underthe control of the controller 343. The current method involvesconducting trials of many TU tree structures for many directions,getting the best “cost” at each level. Here, the cost may be expressedas a measure of the distortion, or noise, or errors, or bit rateresulting from each block structure. So, the encoder may try two or more(or even all available) permutations of block sizes and shapes withinthose allowed under the tree structures and hierarchies discussed above,before selecting the one of the trials which gives the lowest bit ratefor a certain required quality measure, or the lowest distortion (orerrors, or noise, or combinations of these measures) for a required bitrate, or a combination of these measures.

Given the selection of a particular PU configuration, various levels ofsplitting may be applied to generate the corresponding TUs. Referring tothe row 1100, in the case of a 64×64 PU, this block size is too largefor use as a TU and so a first level of splitting (from “level 0” (notsplit) to “level 1”) is compulsory, resulting in an array of four 32×32luma TUs. Each of these may be subjected to further splitting in a treehierarchy (from “level 1” to “level 2”) as required, with the splittingbeing carried out before transforming or quantising that TU isperformed. The maximum number of levels in the TU tree is limited by(for example) the HEVC documents.

Other options are provided for PU sizes and shapes in the case of a64×64 luma pixel CU. These are restricted to use only with inter-codedpictures and, in some cases, with the so-called AMP option enabled. AMPrefers to Asymmetric Motion Partitioning and allows for PUs to bepartitioned asymmetrically.

Similarly, in some cases options are provided for TU sizes and shapes.If NQST (non-square quad-tree transform, basically allowing a non-squareTU) is enabled, then splitting to level 1 and/or level 2 can be carriedout as shown, whereas if NQST is not enabled, the TU sizes follow thesplitting pattern of the respective largest TU for that CU size.

Similar options are provided for other CU sizes.

In addition to the graphical representation shown in FIGS. 18a and 18b ,the numerical part of the same information is provided in the followingtable, though the presentation in FIGS. 18a and 18b is considereddefinitive. “n/a” indicates a mode which is not allowed. The horizontalpixel size is recited first. If a third figure is given, it relates tothe number of instances of that block size, as in(horizontal)×(vertical)×(number of instances) blocks. N is an integer.

CU TU Options Size PU Options Level 0 Level 1 Level 2 64 × 64 64 × 64n/a 32 × 32 × 4 16 × 16 × 4 64 × 32 × 2 (horizontal n/a 32 × 32 × 4 32 ×8 × 4 configuration) 64 × 16 + 64 × 48 (2 horizontal configurations) 32× 64 × 2 (vertical n/a 32 × 32 × 4 8 × 32 × 4 configuration) 16 × 64 +48 × 64 (2 vertical configurations) 32 × 32 32 × 32 32 × 32 16 × 16 × 48 × 8 × 4 32 × 16 × 2 (horizontal n/a 32 × 8 × 4 16 × 4 × 4 (luma) +configuration) 4 × 4 × 4 (chroma, 4:2:0 32 × 8 + 32 × 24 (2 or 4:2:2)horizontal configurations) or 8 × 4 × 4 (chroma, 4:2:2) 16 × 32 × 2(vertical n/a 8 × 32 × 4 4 × 16 × 4 (luma) + 4 × 4 × 4 configuration)(chroma) 8 × 32 + 24 × 32 (2 vertical configurations) 16 × 16 16 × 16 16× 16 8 × 8 × 4 4 × 4 × 4 (luma) + 4 × 8 × 4 (chroma) 16 × 8 × 2(horizontal n/a 16 × 4 × 4 (luma) + 4 × 8 × 4 4 × 4 × 4 (luma) + 4 × 8 ×1 configuration) (chroma) (4:2:0 or (chroma) (4:2:0 or 16 × 4 + 16 × 12(2 4:2:2) 4:2:2) horizontal configurations) 16 × 4 × 4 (luma) + 8 × 4 ×4 4 × 4 × 4 (luma) + 8 × 4 × 1 (chroma) (chroma) (4:2:2) (4:2:2) 8 × 16× 2 (vertical n/a configuration) 4 × 16 + 12 × 16 (2 verticalconfigurations) 8 × 8 8 × 8 8 × 8 4 × 4 × 4 luma + n/a 4 × 4 × 4 4 × 8 ×1 (chroma) 8 × 4 × 2 (horizontal configuration) 4 × 8 × 2 (verticalconfiguration) 4 × 4 × 4 (luma) + 4 × N n/a 4 × 4 × 4 (luma) + n/a(chroma) 4 × 8 × 1 (chroma)

4:2:0, 4:2:2 and 4:4:4 Block Structure Variants

It has been appreciated that both 4:2:0 and 4:4:4 schemes have square PUblocks for intra-prediction coding. Moreover, currently the 4:2:0 schemepermits 4×4 pixel PU & TU blocks.

In embodiments, it is consequently proposed that for the 4:4:4 schemethe recursion for CU blocks is permitted down to 4×4 pixels rather than8×8 pixels, since as noted above in the 4:4:4 mode the luma and chromablocks will be the same size (i.e. the chroma data is not subsampled)and so for a 4×4 CU no PU or TU will need to be less than the alreadyallowed minimum of 4×4 pixels.

Similarly, in the 4:4:4 scheme, in an embodiment each of the Y, Cr, Cbchannels, or the Y and the two Cr, Cb channels together, could haverespective CU tree-hierarchies. A flag may then be used to signal whichhierarchy or arrangement of hierarchies is to be used. This approachcould also be used for a 4:4:4 RGB colour space scheme. However, in analternative, the tree hierarchies for chroma and luma may instead beindependent.

In the example of an 8×8 CU in the 4:2:0 scheme, this results in four4×4 luma PUs and one 4×4 chroma PU. Hence in the 4:2:2 scheme, havingtwice as much chroma data, one option is in this case is to have two 4×4chroma PUs, where (for example) the bottom chroma block would correspondin position to the bottom left luma block. However, it is has beenappreciated that using one non-square 4×8 chroma PU in this case wouldbe more consistent with arrangements for the 4:2:0 chroma format.

In the 4:2:0 scheme there are in principle some non-square TU blockspermitted for certain classes of inter-prediction coding, but not forintra-prediction coding. However in inter-prediction coding, whennon-square quad-tree transforms (NSQT) are disabled (which is thecurrent default for the 4:2:0 scheme), all TUs are square. Hence ineffect the 4:2:0 scheme currently enforces square TUs. For example, a16×16 4:2:0 luma TU would correspond with respective Cb & Cr 8×8 4:2:0Chroma TUs.

However, as noted previously, the 4:2:2 scheme can have non-square PUs.Consequently in an embodiment it is proposed to allow non-square TUs forthe 4:2:2 scheme.

For example, whilst a 16×16 4:2:2 luma TU could correspond with tworespective Cb & Cr 8×8 4:2:2 Chroma TUs, in this embodiment it couldinstead correspond with respective Cb & Cr 8×16 4:2:2 Chroma TUs.

Similarly, four 4×4 4:2:2 luma TUs could correspond with two respective4×4 Cb+Cr 4:2:2 TUs, or in this embodiment could instead correspond withrespective 4×8 Cb & Cr 4:2:2 TUs.

Having non-square chroma TUs, and hence fewer TUs, may be more efficientas they are likely to contain less information. However this may affectthe transformation and scanning processes of such TUs, as will bedescribed later.

Finally, for the 4:4:4 scheme it may be preferable to have the TUstructure channel-independent, and selectable at the sequence, picture,slice or finer level.

As noted above, NSQT is currently disabled in the 4:2:0 scheme of HEVC.However, if for inter-picture prediction, NSQT is enabled and asymmetricmotion partitioning (AMP) is permitted, this allows for PUs to bepartitioned asymmetrically; thus for example a 16×16 CU may have a 4×16PU and a 12×16 PU. In these circumstances, further considerations ofblock structure are important for each of the 4:2:0 and 4:2:2 schemes.

For the 4:2:0 scheme, in NSQT the minimum width/height of a TU may berestricted to 4 luma/chroma samples:

Hence in a non-limiting example a 16×4/16×12 luma PU structure has four16×4 luma TUs and four 4×4 chroma TUs, where the luma TUs are in a 1×4vertical block arrangement and the chroma TUs are in a 2×2 blockarrangement.

In a similar arrangement where the partitioning was vertical rather thanhorizontal, a 4×16/12×16 luma PU structure has four 4×16 luma TUs andfour 4×4 chroma TUs, where the luma TUs are in a 4×1 horizontal blockarrangement and the chroma TUs are in a 2×2 block arrangement.

For the 4:2:2 scheme, in NSQT as a non-limiting example a 4×16/12×16luma PU structure has four 4×16 luma TUs and four 4×8 chroma TUs, wherethe luma TUs are in a 4×1 horizontal block arrangement; the chroma TUsare in a 2×2 block arrangement.

However, it has been appreciated that a different structure can beconsidered for some cases. Hence in an embodiment, in NSQT as anon-limiting example 16×4/16×12 luma PU structure has four 16×4 luma TUsand four 8×4 chroma TUs, but now the luma and chroma TUs are in a 1×4vertical block arrangement, aligned with the PU layout (as opposed tothe 4:2:0 style arrangement of four 4×8 chroma TUs in a 2×2 blockarrangement).

Similarly 32×8 PU can have four 16×4 luma TUs and four 8×4 chroma TUs,but now the luma and chroma TUs are in a 2×2 block arrangement.

Hence more generally, for the 4:2:2 scheme, in NSQT the TU block sizesare selected to align with the asymmetric PU block layout. Consequentlythe NSQT usefully allows TU boundaries to align with PU boundaries,which reduces high frequency artefacts that may otherwise occur.

In general terms, embodiments can relate to a video coding method,apparatus or program operable in respect of images of a 4:2:2 formatvideo signal. An image to be encoded is divided into coding units,prediction units and transform units for encoding, a coding unit being asquare array of luminance samples and the corresponding chrominancesamples, there being one or more prediction units in a coding unit, andthere being one or more transform units in a coding unit; in which aprediction unit is an elementary unit of prediction so that all sampleswithin a single prediction unit are predicted using a common predictiontechnique, and a transform unit is a basic unit of transformation andquantisation.

A Non-square transform mode (such as an NSQT mode) is enabled so as toallow non-square prediction units. Optionally, asymmetric motionpartitioning is enabled so as to allow asymmetry between two or moreprediction units corresponding to a single coding unit.

The controller 343 controls the selection of transform unit block sizesto align with the prediction unit block layout, for example by detectingimage features in the portion of the image corresponding to a PU andselecting TU block sizes in respect of that PU so as to align TUboundaries with edges of image features in the portion of the image.

The rules discussed above dictate which combinations of block sizes areavailable. The encoder may just try different combinations. As discussedabove, a trial may include two or more, through to all availableoptions. The trial encode processes can be carried out according to acost function metric and a result selected according to an assessment ofthe cost function.

Given that there are three levels of variation, according to the CU sizeand shape, the PU size and shape and the TU size and shape, this couldlead to a large number of permutations to be trial-encoded. To reducethis variation, the system could trial encode for a CU size by using anarbitrarily selected one of the PU/TU configurations allowable for eachCU size; then, having selected a CU size, a PU size and shape could beselected by trial encoding the different PU options each with a singlearbitrarily chosen TU configuration. Then, having selected a CU and PU,the system could try all applicable TU configurations to select a finalTU configuration.

Another possibility is that some encoders may use a fixed choice ofblock configuration, or may allow a limited subset of the combinationsset out in the discussions above.

Intra-Prediction

4:2:0 Intra-Prediction

Turning now to FIG. 22, for intra-prediction, HEVC allows for angularchroma prediction.

By way of introduction, FIG. 22 illustrates 35 prediction modesapplicable to luma blocks, 33 of which specify directions to referencesamples for a current predicted sample position 110. The remaining twomodes are mode 0 (planar) and mode 1 (dc).

HEVC allows chroma to have DC, Vertical, Horizontal, Planar, DM_CHROMAand LM_CHROMA modes.

DM_CHROMA indicates that the prediction mode to be used is the same asthat of the co-located luma PU (i.e. one of the 35 shown in FIG. 22).

LM_CHROMA (linear mode chroma) indicates that co-located luma samples(downsampled as appropriate to the channel ratios) are used to derivethe predicted chroma samples. In this case, if the luma PU from whichthe DM_CHROMA prediction mode would be taken selected DC, Vertical,Horizontal or Planar, that entry in the chroma prediction list isreplaced using mode 34. In the LM_CHROMA mode, the luma pixels fromwhich the chroma pixels are predicted are scaled (and have an offsetapplied if appropriate) according to a linear relationship between lumaand chroma. This linear relationship is derived from surrounding pixels,and the derivation can be carried out on a block by block basis, withthe decoder finishing decoding one block before moving on to the next.Note that the LM_CHROMA mode may be omitted in some embodiments.

It is notable that the prediction modes 2-34 sample an angular rangefrom 45 degrees to 225 degrees; that is to say, one diagonal half of asquare. This is useful in the case of the 4:2:0 scheme, which as notedabove only uses square chroma PUs for intra-picture prediction.

4:2:2 Intra-Prediction Variants

However, also as noted above the 4:2:2 scheme could have rectangular(non-square) chroma PUs even when the luma PUs are square. Or indeed,the opposite could be true: a rectangular luma PU could correspond to asquare chroma PU. The reason for the discrepancy is that in 4:2:2, thechroma is subsampled horizontally (relative to the luma) but notvertically. So the aspect ratio of a luma block and a correspondingchroma block would be expected to be different.

Consequently, in an embodiment, for chroma PUs having a different aspectratio to the corresponding luma block, a mapping table may be requiredfor the direction. Assuming (for example) a 1-to-2 aspect ratio forrectangular chroma PUs, then for example mode 18 (currently at an angleof 135 degrees) may be re-mapped to 123 degrees. Alternatively selectionof current mode 18 may be remapped to a selection of current mode 22, tomuch the same effect.

Hence more generally, for non-square PUs, a different mapping betweenthe direction of the reference sample and the selected intra predictionmode may be provided compared with that for square PUs.

More generally still, any of the modes, including the non-directionalmodes, may also be re-mapped based upon empirical evidence.

It is possible that such mapping will result in a many-to-onerelationship, making the specification of the full set of modesredundant for 4:2:2 chroma PUs. In this case, for example it may be thatonly 17 modes (corresponding to half the angular resolution) arenecessary. Alternatively or in addition, these modes may be angularlydistributed in a non-uniform manner.

Similarly, the smoothing filter used on the reference sample whenpredicting the pixel at the sample position may be used differently; inthe 4:2:0 scheme it is only used to smooth luma pixels, but not chromaones. However, in the 4:2:2 and 4:4:4 schemes this filter may also beused for the chroma PUs. In the 4:2:2 scheme, again the filter may bemodified in response to the different aspect ratio of the PU, forexample only being used for a subset of near horizontal modes. Anexample subset of modes is preferably 2-18 and 34, or more preferably7-14. In 4:2:2, smoothing of only the left column of reference samplesmay be carried out in embodiments of the present technology.

These arrangements are discussed later in more detail.

4:4:4 Intra-Prediction Variants

In the 4:4:4 scheme, the chroma and luma PUs are the same size, and sothe intra-prediction mode for a chroma PU can be either the same as theco-located luma PU (so saving some overhead in the bit stream by nothaving to encode a separate mode), or alternatively, it can beindependently selected.

In this latter case therefore, in an embodiment the system have 1, 2 or3 different prediction modes for each of the PUs in a CU; In a firstexample, the Y, Cb and Cr PUs may all use the same intra-predictionmode.

In a second example, the Y PU may use one intra-prediction mode, and theCb and Cr PUs both use another independently selected intra-predictionmode.

In a third example, the Y, Cb and Cr PUs each use a respectiveindependently selected intra-prediction mode.

It will be appreciated that having independent prediction modes for thechroma channels (or each chroma channel) will improve the colourprediction accuracy. But this is at the expense of an additional dataoverhead to communicate the independent prediction modes as part of theencoded data.

To alleviate this, the selection of the number of modes could beindicated in the high-level syntax (e.g. at sequence, picture, or slicelevel). Alternatively, the number of independent modes could be derivedfrom the video format; for example, GBR could have up to 3, whilst YCbCrcould be restricted to up to 2.

In addition to independently selecting the modes, the available modesmay be allowed to differ from the 4:2:0 scheme in the 4:4:4 scheme.

For example as the luma and chroma PUs are the same size in 4:4:4, thechroma PU may benefit from access to all of the 35+LM_CHROMA+DM_CHROMAdirections available. Hence for the case of Y, Cb and Cr each havingindependent prediction modes, then the Cb channel could have access toDM_CHROMA & LM_CHROMA, whilst the Cr channel could have access toDM_CHROMA_Y, DM_CHROMA_Cb, LM_CHROMA_Y and LM_CHROMA_Cb, where thesereplace references to the Luma channel with references to the Y or Cbchroma channels.

Where the luma prediction modes are signalled by deriving a list of mostprobable modes and sending an index for that list, then if the chromaprediction mode(s) are independent, it may be necessary to deriveindependent lists of most probable modes for each channel.

Finally, in a similar manner to that noted for the 4:2:2 case above, inthe 4:4:4 scheme the smoothing filter used on the reference sample whenpredicting the pixel at the sample position may be used for chroma PUsin a similar manner to luma PUs. Currently, a [1,2,1] low-pass filtercan be applied to the reference samples prior to intra-prediction. Thisis only used for luma TUs when using certain prediction modes.

One of the intra-prediction modes available to chroma TUs is to base thepredicted samples on co-located luma samples. Such an arrangement isillustrated schematically in FIG. 19, which shows an array of TUs 1200(from a region of a source image) represented by small squares in theCb, Cr and Y channels, showing the special alignment between imagefeatures (schematically indicated by dark and light shaded boxes 1200)in the Cb and Y channels and in the Cr and Y channels. In this example,it is of benefit to force the chroma TUs to base their predicted sampleson co-located luma samples. However, it is not always the case thatimage features correspond between the three channels. In fact, certainfeatures may appear only in one or two of the channels, and in generalthe image content of the three channels may differ.

In embodiments, for Cr TUs, LM_Chroma could optionally be based onco-located samples from the Cb channel (or, in other embodiments, thedependence could be the other way around). Such an arrangement is shownin schematic form in FIG. 20. Here, spatially aligned TUs areillustrated between the Cr, Cb and Y channels. A further set of TUslabelled “source” is a schematic representation of the colour picture asseen as a whole. The image features (a top left triangle and a lowerright triangle) seen in the source image do not in fact representchanges in the luminance, but only changes in chrominance between thetwo triangular regions. In this case, basing LM_Chroma for Cr on theluminance samples would produce a poor prediction, but basing it on theCb samples could give a better prediction.

The decision as to which LM_Chroma mode to be used can be made by thecontroller 343 and/or the mode controller 520, based on trial encodingof different options (including the option of basing LM_Chroma on theco-located luma or co-located chroma samples), with the decision as towhich mode to select being made by assessing a cost function, similar tothat described above, with respect to the different trial encodings.Examples of the cost function are noise, distortion, error rate or bitrate. A mode from amongst those subjected to trial encoding which givesthe lowest of any one or more of these cost functions is selected.

FIG. 21 schematically illustrates a method used to obtain referencesamples for intra-prediction in some embodiments. In viewing FIG. 21, itshould be borne in mind that encoding is carried out according to ascanning pattern, so that in general terms encoded versions of theblocks above and to the left of a current block to be encoded areavailable to the encoding process. Sometimes samples below-left or tothe above-right are used, if they have been previously coded as part ofother already-encoded TUs within the current LCU. Reference is made toFIG. 13 as described above, for example.

A shaded area 1210 represents a current TU, that is to say, a TU whichis currently being encoded.

In 4:2:0 and 4:2:2, the column of pixels immediately to the left of thecurrent TU does not contain co-located luminance and chrominance samplesbecause of horizontal subsampling. In other words, this is because the4:2:0 and 4:2:2 formats have half as many chrominance pixels asluminance pixels (in a horizontal direction), so not every luminancesample position has a co-sited chrominance sample. Therefore, althoughluminance samples may be present in the column of pixels immediately tothe left of the TU, chrominance samples are not present. Therefore, insome embodiments, the column located two samples to the left of thecurrent TU is used to provide reference samples for LM_Chroma. Note thatthe situation is different in 4:4:4, in that the column immediately tothe left of the current TU does indeed contain co-located luma andchroma samples. This column could therefore be used to provide referencesamples.

The reference samples are used as follows.

In the LM_Chroma mode, predicted chroma samples are derived fromreconstructed luma samples according to a linear relationship. So, ingeneral terms, it can be said that the predicted chrominance valueswithin the TU are given by:

P _(C) =a+bP _(L)

where P_(C) is a chrominance sample value, P_(L) is a reconstructedluminance sample value at that sample position, and a and b areconstants. The constants are derived for a particular block by detectingthe relationship between reconstructed luma samples and chroma samplesin the row just above that block and in the column just to the left ofthat block, these being sample positions which have already been encoded(see above).

In some embodiments, the constants a and b are derived as follows:

a=R(P _(L) ′,P _(C)′)/R(P _(L) ′,P _(L)′)

where R represents a linear (least squares) regression function, andP_(L)′ and P_(C)′ are luminance and chrominance samples respectivelyfrom the adjacent row and column as discussed above, and:

b=mean(P _(C)′)−a·mean(P _(L)′)

For 4:4:4, the P_(L)′ and P_(C)′ values are taken from the columnimmediately to the left of the current TU, and the row immediately abovethe current TU. For 4:2:2, the P_(L)′ and P_(C)′ values are taken fromthe row immediately above the current TU and the column in the adjacentblock which is two sample positions away from the left edge of thecurrent TU. For 4:2:0 (which is subsampled vertically and horizontally)the P_(L)′ and P_(C)′ values would ideally be taken from a row which istwo rows above the current TU, but in fact are taken from a row in theadjacent block which is one sample position above the current TU, andthe column in the adjacent block which is two sample positions away fromthe left edge of the current TU. The reason is to avoid having tomaintain an additional whole row of data in memory. So in this regard,4:2:2 and 4:2:0 are treated in a similar way.

Accordingly, these techniques apply to video coding methods having achrominance prediction mode in which a current block of chrominancesamples representing a region of the image is encoded by deriving andencoding a relationship of the chrominance samples with respect to aco-sited block of luminance samples (such as reconstructed luminancesamples) representing the same region of the image. The relationship(such as the linear relationship) is derived by comparing co-sited(otherwise expressed as correspondingly-sited) luminance and chrominancesamples from adjacent already-encoded blocks. The chrominance samplesare derived from luminance samples according to the relationship; andthe difference between the predicted chrominance samples and the actualchrominance samples is encoded as residual data.

In respect of a first sampling resolution (such as 4:4:4) where thechrominance samples have the same sampling rate as the luminancesamples, the co-sited samples are samples in sample positions adjacentto the current block.

In respect of a second sampling resolution (such as 4:2:2 or 4:2:0)where the chrominance samples have a lower sampling rate than that ofthe luminance samples, a nearest column or row of co-sited luminance andchrominance samples from the adjacent already-encoded block is used toprovide the co-sited samples. Or where, in the case of the secondsampling resolution being a 4:2:0 sampling resolution, thecorrespondingly-sited samples are a row of samples adjacent to thecurrent block and a nearest column or row of correspondingly-sitedluminance and chrominance samples, from the adjacent already-encodedblocks.

FIG. 22 schematically illustrates the available prediction angles forluma samples. The current pixel being predicted as shown at the centreof the diagram as a pixel 1220. The smaller dots 1230 represent adjacentpixels. Those located on the top or left sides of the current pixel areavailable as reference samples to generate a prediction, because theyhave been previously encoded. Other pixels are currently unknown (at thetime of predicting the pixel 1220) and will in due course be predictedthemselves.

Each numbered prediction direction points to the reference samples 1230on the top or left edges of the current block that are used to generatethe current predicted pixel. In the case of smaller blocks, where theprediction directions point to locations between reference samples, alinear interpolation between adjacent reference samples is used.

Turning now to intra-angular prediction for chroma samples, for 4:2:0,fewer prediction directions are available because of the relativescarcity of the chroma samples. However, if the DM_CHROMA mode isselected then the current chroma block will use the same predictiondirection as the co-located luma block. In turn, this means that theluma directions for intra-prediction are also available to chroma.

However, for chroma samples in 4:2:2, it can be consideredcounter-intuitive to use the same prediction algorithm and direction asluma when DM_CHROMA is selected, given that chroma blocks now have adifferent aspect ratio to that of the luma blocks. For example, a 45°line for a square luma array of samples should still map to a 45° linefor chroma samples, albeit with an array of rectangular sized samples.Overlaying the rectangular grid onto to a square grid indicates that the45° line would then in fact map to a 26.6° line.

FIG. 23 schematically illustrates luma intra-prediction directions asapplied to chroma pixels in 4:2:2, in respect of a current pixel to bepredicted 1220. Note that there are half as many pixels horizontally asthere are vertically, because 4:2:2 has half the horizontal sample ratein the chroma channel as compared to the luma channel.

FIG. 24 schematically illustrates the transformation or mapping of the4:2:2 chroma pixels to a square grid, and subsequently how thistransformation changes the prediction directions.

The luma prediction directions are shown as broken lines 1240. Thechroma pixels 1250 are remapped to a square grid giving a rectangulararray half the width 1260 of the corresponding luma array (such as thatshown in FIG. 22). The prediction directions shown in FIG. 23 have beenremapped to the rectangular array. It can be seen that for some pairs ofdirections (a pair being a luma direction and a chroma direction) thereis either an overlap or a close relationship. For example, direction 2in the luma array substantially overlies the direction 6 in the chromaarray. However, it will also be noted that some luma directions,approximately half of them, have no corresponding chroma direction. Anexample is the luma direction numbered 3. Also, some chroma directions(2-5) have no equivalent in the luma array, and some luma directions(31-34) have no equivalent in the chroma array. But in general, thesuperposition as shown in FIG. 24 demonstrates that it would beinappropriate to use the same angle for both the luma and chromachannels.

Accordingly, in order to derive the appropriate prediction angle forchroma when (a) DM_CHROMA is selected and (b) the DM_CHROMA modecurrently in use indicates that the chroma prediction direction shouldbe that of the co-located luma block, the following procedure isapplied:

(i) derive the intra-prediction angle step and its inverse according tothe luma direction according to usual HEVC rules

(ii) if the luma direction is predominantly vertical (that is, forexample, a mode numbered from 18 to 34 inclusive) then theintra-prediction angle step is halved and its inverse is doubled.

(iii) otherwise, if the luma direction is predominantly horizontal (thatis, for example, a mode numbered from 2 to 17 inclusive) then theintra-prediction angle step is doubled and its inverse halved.

Accordingly these embodiments relate to video coding or decodingmethods, apparatus or programs in which luminance and chrominancesamples are predicted from other respective reference samples accordingto a prediction direction associated with a sample to be predicted. Inmodes such as 4:2:2 the chrominance samples have a lower horizontaland/or vertical sampling rate than the luminance samples so that theratio of luminance horizontal resolution to chrominance horizontalresolution is different to the ratio of luminance vertical resolution tochrominance vertical resolution. In short, this means that a block ofluminance samples has a different aspect ratio to a corresponding blockof chrominance samples.

The intra frame predictor 530, for example, is operable to detect afirst prediction direction defined in relation to a grid of a firstaspect ratio in respect of a set of current samples to be predicted; andto apply a direction mapping to the prediction direction so as togenerate a second prediction direction defined in relation to a grid ofsamples of a different aspect ratio of the same set of current samplesto be predicted.

In embodiments of the present technology, the first prediction directionis defined in respect of one of luminance or chrominance samples, andthe second prediction direction is defined in respect of the other ofluminance or chrominance samples. In the particular examples discussedin the present description, the luminance prediction direction may bemodified to provide the chrominance prediction direction. But the otherway round could be used.

The technique is particularly applicable to intra-prediction, so thatthe reference samples are samples of the same respective image as thesamples to be predicted.

In at least some arrangements the first prediction direction is definedwith respect to a square block of luminance samples including thecurrent luminance sample; and the second prediction direction is definedwith respect to a rectangular block of chrominance samples including thecurrent chrominance sample.

It is possible to provide independent prediction modes for the twochrominance components. In such an arrangement the chrominance samplescomprise samples of first and second chrominance components, and thetechnique comprises applying the direction mapping discussed above stepin respect of the first chrominance component (such as Cb); andproviding a different prediction mode in respect of the secondchrominance component (such as Cr).

The video data can be in a 4:2:2 format, for example.

In general terms, embodiments of the disclosure can provide forindependent prediction modes for the chrominance components (forexample, for each of the luminance and chrominance componentsseparately). These embodiments relate to video coding methods in whichluminance and chrominance samples of an image are predicted from otherrespective reference samples of the same image according to a predictiondirection associated with a sample to be predicted, the chrominancesamples having a lower horizontal and/or vertical sampling rate than theluminance samples so that the ratio of luminance horizontal resolutionto chrominance horizontal resolution is different to the ratio ofluminance vertical resolution to chrominance vertical resolution so thata block of luminance samples has a different aspect ratio to acorresponding block of chrominance samples, and the chrominance samplesrepresenting first and second chrominance components.

The intra frame mode selector 520 selects a prediction mode defining aselection of one or more reference samples for predicting a currentchrominance sample of the first chrominance component (such as Cb). Italso selects a different prediction mode defining a different selectionof one or more reference samples for predicting a current chrominancesample of the second chrominance component (such as Cr), co-sited withthe current chrominance sample of the first chrominance component.

A reference sample filter can optionally be applied to horizontalsamples or vertical samples (or both). The filter can be a 3-tap “1 2 1”filter, currently applied to all luma reference samples except thebottom left and top right (the samples of a N×N block are gatheredtogether to form a single 1D array of size 2N+1, and then optionallyfiltered). In embodiments of the technology it is applied only the first(left hand edge) or last (top edge) N+1 chroma samples for 4:2:2, butnoting that the bottom left, top right and top left would then not beadjusted; or all chroma samples (as for luma), for 4:2:2 and 4:4:4.

Embodiments can also provide video coding or decoding methods, apparatusor programs in which luminance and first and second chrominancecomponent samples are predicted from other respective reference samplesaccording to a prediction direction associated with a sample to bepredicted, involving predicting samples of the second chrominancecomponent from samples of the first chrominance component.

Embodiments can also provide video coding or decoding methods, apparatusor programs in which luminance and first and second chrominancecomponent samples are predicted from other respective reference samplesaccording to a prediction direction associated with a sample to bepredicted, involving filtering the reference samples.

As discussed with reference to FIGS. 19 and 20, it is possible that thedifferent prediction mode comprises a mode by which samples of thesecond chrominance component are predicted from samples of the firstchrominance component.

Note that modes 0 and 1 are not angular prediction modes and so are notincluded in this procedure. The effect of the procedure shown above isto map the chroma prediction directions onto the luma predictiondirections in FIG. 24.

For 4:2:0, when either a purely horizontal prediction mode (luma mode10) or a purely vertical prediction mode (luma mode 26) is selected, thetop or left edges of the predicted TU are subject to filtering for theluma channel only. For the horizontal prediction mode, the top row isfiltered in the vertical direction. For the vertical prediction mode,the left column is filtered in the horizontal direction.

Filtering a column of samples in the horizontal direction can beunderstood as applying a horizontally oriented filter to each sample inturn of the column of samples. So, for an individual sample, its valuewill be modified by the action of the filter, based on a filtered valuegenerated from the current value of that sample and of one or more othersamples at sample positions displaced from that sample in a horizontaldirection (that is, one or more other samples to the left and/or rightof the sample in question).

Filtering a row of samples in the vertical direction can be understoodas applying a vertically oriented filter to each sample in turn of therow of samples. So, for an individual sample, its value will be modifiedby the action of the filter, based on a filtered value generated fromthe current value of that sample and of one or more other samples atsample positions displaced from that sample in a vertical direction(that is, one or more other samples above and/or below the sample inquestion).

One purpose of the edge pixel filtering process described above is toaim to reduce block based edge effects in the prediction thereby aimingto reduce energy in the residual image data.

In some embodiments, a corresponding filtering process is also providedfor chroma TUs in 4:4:4 and 4:2:2. Taking into account the horizontalsubsampling, one proposal is only to filter the top row of the chroma TUin 4:2:2, but to filter both the top row and left column (asappropriate, according to the selected mode) in 4:4:4. It is consideredappropriate to filter only in these regions so as to avoid filtering outtoo much useful detail, which (if filtered out) would lead to anincreased energy of the residual data.

For 4:2:0, when DC mode is selected, the top and/or left edges of thepredicted TU are subject to filtering for the luma channel only.

The filtering may be such that in DC Mode, the filter does a(1×neighbouring outside sample+3*edge sample)/4 averaging operation forall samples on both edges. However, for the top left the filter functionis (2×current sample+1×above sample+1×left sample)/4.

The HN filter is an average between neighbouring outside sample and edgesample.

In some embodiments, this filtering process is also provided for chromaTUs in 4:4:4 and 4:2:2. Again, taking into account the horizontalsubsampling, in some embodiments, only the top row of the chroma samplesis filtered for 4:2:2, but the top row and left column of the chroma TUare filtered for 4:4:4.

Accordingly, this technique can apply in respect of a video coding ordecoding method, apparatus or program in which luminance and chrominancesamples in a 4:4:4 format or a 4:2:2 format are predicted from otherrespective samples according to a prediction direction associated withblocks of samples to be predicted.

In embodiments of the technique, a prediction direction is detected inrespect of a current block to be predicted. A predicted block ofchrominance samples is generated according to other chrominance samplesdefined by the prediction direction. If the detected predictiondirection is substantially vertical (for example, being within +/−nangle modes of the exactly vertical mode where n is (for example) 2),the left column of samples is filtered (for example, in a horizontaldirection) in the predicted block of chrominance samples. Or, if thedetected prediction direction is substantially horizontal (for example,being within +/−n angle modes of the exactly horizontal mode, where n is(for example) 2), the top row of samples is filtered (for example, in avertical direction) in the predicted block of chrominance samples. Thenthe difference between the filtered predicted chrominance block and theactual chrominance block is encoded, for example as residual data.Alternatively, the test could be for an exactly vertical or horizontalmode rather than a substantially vertical or horizontal mode. Thetolerance of +/−n could be applied to one of the tests (vertical orhorizontal) but not the other.

Inter-Prediction

it is noted that inter prediction in HEVC already allows rectangularPUs, so 4:2:2 and 4:4:4 modes are already compatible with PUinter-prediction processing.

Each frame of a video image is a discrete sampling of a real scene, andas a result each pixel is a step-wise approximation of a real-worldgradient in colour and brightness.

In recognition of this, when predicting the Y, Cb or Cr value of a pixelin a new video frame from a value in a previous video frame, the pixelsin that previous video frame are interpolated to create a betterestimate of the original real-world gradients, to allow a more accurateselection of brightness or colour for the new pixel. Consequently themotion vectors used to point between video frames are not limited to aninteger pixel resolution. Rather, they can point to a sub-pixel positionwithin the interpolated image.

4:2:0 Inter-Prediction

Referring now to FIGS. 25 and 26, in the 4:2:0 scheme as noted abovetypically an 8×8 luma PU 1300 will be associated with Cb and Cr 4×4chroma PUs 1310. Consequently to interpolate the luma and chroma pixeldata up to the same effective resolution, different interpolationfilters are used.

For example for the 8×8 4:2:0 luma PU, interpolation is ¼ pixel, and soan 8-tap ×4 filter is applied horizontally first, and then the same8-tap ×4 filter is applied vertically, so that the luma PU iseffectively stretched 4 times in each direction, to form an interpolatedarray 1320 as shown in FIG. 25. Meanwhile the corresponding 4×4 4:2:0chroma PU is ⅛ pixel interpolated to generate the same eventualresolution, and so a 4-tap ×8 filter is applied horizontally first, thenthe same 4-tap ×8 filter is applied vertically, so that the 4:2:0 chromaPUs are effectively stretched 8 times in each direction to form an array1330, as shown in FIG. 26.

4:2:2 Inter-Prediction

A similar arrangement for 4:2:2 will now be described with reference toFIGS. 27 and 28, which illustrate a luma PU 1350 and a pair ofcorresponding chroma PUs 1360.

Referring to FIG. 28, as noted previously, in the 4:2:2 scheme thechroma PU 1360 can be non-square, and for the case of an 8×8 4:2:2 lumaPU, will typically be a 4 wide×8 high 4:2:2 Chroma PU for each of the Cband Cr channels. Note that the chroma PU is drawn, for the purposes ofFIG. 28, as a square shaped array of non-square pixels, but in generalterms it is noted that the PUs 1360 are 4 (horizontal)×8 (vertical)pixel arrays.

Whilst it may be possible therefore to use the existing 8-tap ×4 lumafilter vertically on the chroma PU, in an embodiment of the presentdisclosure it has been appreciated that the existing 4-tap ×8 chromafilter would suffice for vertical interpolation as in practice one isonly interested in the even fractional locations of the interpolatedchroma PU.

Hence FIG. 27 shows the 8×8 4:2:2 luma PU 1350 interpolated as beforewith an 8-tap ×4 filter, and the 4×8 4:2:2 chroma PUs 1360 interpolatedwith the existing 4-tap ×8 chroma filter in the horizontal and verticaldirection, but only with the even fractional results used for formingthe interpolated image in the vertical direction.

These techniques are applicable to video coding or decoding methods,apparatus or programs using inter-image prediction to encode input videodata in which each chrominance component has 1/Mth of the horizontalresolution of the luminance component and 1/Nth of the verticalresolution of the luminance component, where M and N are integers equalto 1 or more, For example, For 4:2:2, M=2, N=1. For 4:2:0, M=2, N=2.

The frame store 570 is operable to store one or more images preceding acurrent image.

The interpolation filter 580 is operable to interpolate a higherresolution version of prediction units of the stored images so that theluminance component of an interpolated prediction unit has a horizontalresolution P times that of the corresponding portion of the stored imageand a vertical resolution Q times that of the corresponding portion ofthe stored image, where P and Q are integers greater than 1. In thecurrent examples, P=Q=4 so that the interpolation filter 580 is operableto generate an interpolated image at ¼ sample resolution.

The motion estimator 550 is operable to detect inter-image motionbetween a current image and the one or more interpolated stored imagesso as to generate motion vectors between a prediction unit of thecurrent image and areas of the one or more preceding images.

The motion compensated predictor 540 is operable to generate a motioncompensated prediction of the prediction unit of the current image withrespect to an area of an interpolated stored image pointed to by arespective motion vector.

Returning to a discussion of the operation of the interpolation filter580, embodiments of this filter are operable to apply applying a xRhorizontal and xS vertical interpolation filter to the chrominancecomponents of a stored image to generate an interpolated chrominanceprediction unit, where R is equal to (U×M×P) and S is equal to (V×N×Q),U and V being integers equal to 1 or more; and to subsample theinterpolated chrominance prediction unit, such that its horizontalresolution is divided by a factor of U and its vertical resolution isdivided by a factor of V, thereby resulting in a block of MP×NQ samples.

So, in the case of 4:2:2, the interpolation filter 580 applies a ×8interpolation in the horizontal and vertical directions, but thenvertically subsamples by a factor of 2, for example by using every2^(nd) sample in the interpolated output.

This technique therefore allows the same (for example, ×8) filter to beused in respect of 4:2:0 and 4:2:2, but with a further step ofsubsampling where needed with 4:2:2.

In embodiments of the disclosure, as discussed, the interpolatedchrominance prediction unit has a height in samples twice that of a4:2:0 format prediction unit interpolated using the same xR and xSinterpolation filters.

The need to provide different filters can be avoided or alleviated usingthese techniques, and in particular by using the same xR horizontal andxS vertical interpolation filters, in respect of 4:2:0 input video dataand 4:2:2 input video data.

As discussed, the step of subsampling the interpolated chrominanceprediction unit comprises using every Vth sample of the interpolatedchrominance prediction unit in the vertical direction, and/or usingevery Uth sample of the interpolated chrominance prediction unit in thevertical direction.

Embodiments can involve deriving a luminance motion vector for aprediction unit; and independently deriving one or more chrominancemotion vectors for that prediction unit.

In some embodiments, at least one of R and S is equal to 2 or more, andin some embodiments the xR horizontal and xS vertical interpolationfilters are also applied to the luminance components of the storedimage.

4:4:4 Inter-Prediction Variants

By extension, the same principle of only using the even fractionalresults for the existing 4-tap ×8 chroma filter can be applied bothvertically and horizontally for the 8×8 4:4:4 chroma PUs.

Further to these examples, the ×8 chroma filter may be used for allinterpolation, including luma.

Further Inter-Prediction Variants

In one implementation of motion vector (MV) derivation, one vector isproduced for a PU in a P-slice (and two vectors for a PU in a B-slice(where a P-slice takes predictions from a preceding frame, and a B-slicetakes predictions from a preceding and following frame, in a similarmanner to MPEG P and B frames). Notably, in this implementation in the4:2:0 scheme the vectors are common to all channels, and moreover, thechroma data need not be used to calculate the motion vectors. In otherwords, all the channels use a motion vector based on the luma data.

In an embodiment, in the 4:2:2 scheme the chroma vector could be derivedso as to be independent from luma (i.e. a single vector for the Cb andCr channels could be derived separately), and in the 4:4:4 scheme chromavectors could further be independent for each of the Cb and Cr channels.

Transforms

In HEVC, most images are encoded as motion vectors from previouslyencoded/decoded frames, with the motion vectors telling the decoderwhere, in these other decoded frames, to copy good approximations of thecurrent image from. The result is an approximate version of the currentimage. HEVC then encodes the so-called residual, which is the errorbetween that approximate version and the correct image. This residualrequires much less information than specifying the actual imagedirectly. However, it is still generally preferable to compress thisresidual information to reduce the overall bitrate further.

In many encoding methods including HEVC, such data is transformed intothe spatial frequency domain using an integer cosine transform (ICT),and typically some compression is then achieved by retaining low spatialfrequency data and discarding higher spatial frequency data according tothe level of compression desired.

4:2:0 Transforms

The spatial frequency transforms used in HEVC are conventionally onesthat generate coefficients in powers of 4 (for example 64 frequencycoefficients) as this is particularly amenable to commonquantisation/compression methods. The square TUs in the 4:2:0 scheme areall powers of 4 and hence this is straightforward to achieve.

If the NSQT options are enabled, some non-square transforms areavailable for non-square TUs, such as 4×16, but again notably theseresult in 64 coefficients, i.e. again a power of 4.

4:2:2 and 4:4:4 Transform Variants

The 4:2:2 scheme can result in non-square TUs that are not powers of 4;for example a 4×8 TU has 32 pixels, and 32 is not a power of 4.

In an embodiment therefore, a non-square transform for a non-power of 4number of coefficients may be used, acknowledging that modifications maybe required to the subsequent quantisation process.

Alternatively, in an embodiment non-square TUs are split into squareblocks having a power of 4 area for transformation, and then theresulting coefficients can be interleaved.

For example, for 4×8 blocks odd/even vertical samples can be split intotwo square blocks. Alternatively, for 4×8 blocks the top 4×4 pixels andthe bottom 4×4 pixels could form two square blocks. Alternatively again,for 4×8 blocks a Haar wavelet decomposition can be used to form a lowerand an upper frequency 4×4 block.

Any of these options may be made available, and the selection of aparticular alternative may be signalled to or derived by the decoder.

Other Transform Modes

In the 4:2:0 scheme there is a proposed flag (the so-called‘qpprime_y_zero_transquant_bypass_flag’) allowing the residual data tobe included in the bit stream losslessly (i.e. without beingtransformed, quantised or further filtered). In the 4:2:0 scheme theflag applies to all channels.

Accordingly, such embodiments represent a video coding or decodingmethod, apparatus or program in which luminance and chrominance samplesare predicted and the difference between the samples and the respectivepredicted samples is encoded, making use of an indicator configured toindicate whether luminance difference data is to be included in anoutput bitstream losslessly; and to independently indicate whetherchrominance difference data is to be included in the bitstreamlosslessly.

In an embodiment, it is proposed that the flag for the luma channel isseparate to the chroma channels. Hence for the 4:2:2 scheme, such flagsshould be provided separately for the luma channel and for the chromachannels, and for the 4:4:4 scheme, such flags should be provided eitherseparately for the luma and chroma channels, or one flag is provided foreach of the three channels. This recognises the increased chroma datarates associated with the 4:2:2 and 4:4:4 schemes, and enables, forexample, lossless luma data together with compressed chroma data.

For intra-prediction coding, mode-dependent directional transform (MDDT)allows the horizontal or vertical ICT (or both ICTs) for a TU to bereplaced with an Integer Sine Transform depending upon theintra-prediction direction. In the 4:2:0 scheme this is not applied tochroma TUs. However in an embodiment it is proposed to apply it to 4:2:2and 4:4:4 chroma TUs, noting that the IST is only currently defined fora 4 sample transform dimensions (either horizontally or vertically), andtherefore cannot currently be applied vertically to a 4×8 chroma TU.

In methods of video coding, the various embodiments can be arranged soas to indicate whether luminance difference data is to be included in anoutput bitstream losslessly; and independently to indicate whetherchrominance difference data is to be included in the bitstreamlosslessly, and to encode or include the relevant data in the formdefined by such indications.

Quantisation

In the 4:2:0 scheme, the quantisation calculation is the same forchrominance as for luminance. Only the quantisation parameters (QPs)differ.

QPs for chrominance are calculated from the luminance QPs as follows:

Qp _(Cb)=scalingTable [Qp _(luminance)+chroma_qp_index_offset]

Qp _(Cr)=scalingTable[Qp _(luminance)+second_chroma_qp_index_offset]

where the scaling table is defined as seen in FIG. 29a or 29 b (for4:2:0 and 4:2:2 respectively), and “chroma_qp_index_offset” and“second_chroma_qp_index_offset” are defined in the picture parameter setand may be the same or different for Cr and Cb. In other words, thevalue in square brackets defines in each case an “index” into thescaling table (FIGS. 29a and b ) and the scaling table then gives arevised value of Qp (“value”).

Note that “chroma_qp_index_offset” and “second_chroma_qp_index_offset”may instead be referred to as cb_qp_offset and cr_qp_offsetrespectively.

Chrominance channels typically contain less information than luminanceand hence have smaller-magnitude coefficients; this limitation on thechrominance QP may prevent all chrominance detail being lost at heavyquantisation levels.

The QP-divisor relationship in the 4:2:0 is a logarithmic one such thatan increase of 6 in the QP is equivalent to a doubling of the divisor(the quantisation step size discussed elsewhere in this description,though noting that it may be further modified by Qmatrices before use).Hence the largest difference in the scaling table of 51−39=12 representsa factor-of-4 change in the divisor.

However, in an embodiment, for the 4:2:2 scheme, which potentiallycontains twice as much chroma information as the 4:2:0 scheme, themaximum chrominance QP value in the scaling table may be raised to 45(i.e. halving the divisor). Similarly for the 4:4:4 scheme, the maximumchrominance QP value in the scaling table may be raised to 51 (i.e. thesame divisor). In this case the scaling table is in effect redundant,but may be retained simply for operational efficiency (i.e. so that thesystem works by reference to a table in the same way for each scheme).Hence more generally in an embodiment the chroma QP divisor is modifiedresponsive to the amount of information in the coding scheme relative tothe 4:2:0 scheme.

Accordingly, embodiments apply to a video coding or decoding methodoperable to quantise blocks of frequency-transformed luminance andchrominance component video data in a 4:4:4 or a 4:2:2 format accordingto a selected quantisation parameter which defines a quantisation stepsize. A quantisation parameter association (such as, for example, theappropriate table in FIG. 29a or 29 b) is defined between luminance andchrominance quantisation parameters, where the association is such thata maximum chrominance quantisation step size is less than a maximumluminance quantisation step size for the 4:2:2 format (for example, 45)but equal to the maximum luminance quantisation step size for the 4:4:4format (for example, 51). The quantisation process operates in that eachcomponent of the frequency-transformed data is divided by a respectivevalue derived from the respective quantisation step size, and the resultis rounded to an integer value, to generate a corresponding block ofquantised spatial frequency data.

It will be appreciated that the dividing and rounding steps areindicative examples of a generic quantising stage, according to therespective quantisation step size (or data derived from it, for exampleby the application of Qmatrices).

Embodiments include the step of selecting a quantisation parameter orindex (QP for luminance) for quantising the spatial frequencycoefficients, the quantisation parameter acting as a reference to arespective one of a set of quantisation step sizes according to the QPtables applicable to luminance data. The process of defining thequantisation parameter association can then comprise: for chrominancecomponents, referencing a table of modified quantisation parameters(such as the table of FIG. 29a or 29 b) according to the selectedquantisation parameter, which in turn can involve (i) for the firstchrominance component, adding a first offset (such aschroma_qp_index_offset) to the quantisation parameter and selecting themodified quantisation index corresponding to the entry, in the table,for the quantisation index plus the first offset; and (ii) for thesecond chrominance component, adding a second offset (such assecond_chroma_qp_index_offset) to the quantisation parameter andselecting the modified quantisation index corresponding to the entry, inthe table, for the quantisation index plus the second offset; andreferencing a respective quantisation step size in the set according tothe quantisation parameter for the luminance data and the first andsecond modified quantisation indices for the first and secondchrominance components. Viewed in a different way, this is an example ofa process involving selecting a quantisation parameter for quantisingthe spatial frequency coefficients, the quantisation parameter acting asa reference to a respective one of a set of quantisation step sizes; andin which the defining step comprises: for chrominance components,referencing a table of modified quantisation parameters according to theselected quantisation parameter, the referencing step comprising: foreach chrominance component, adding a respective offset to thequantisation parameter and selecting the modified quantisation parametercorresponding to the entry, in the table, for the quantisation parameterplus the respective offset; and referencing a respective quantisationstep size in the set according to the quantisation parameter for theluminance data and the first and second modified quantisation parametersfor the first and second chrominance components.

FIG. 29c schematically illustrates possible variations to thequantisation parameter tables of FIGS. 29a and 29 b.

The techniques are particularly applicable to arrangements in whichsuccessive values of the quantisation step sizes in the set are relatedlogarithmically, so that a change in quantisation parameter of m (wherem is an integer) represents a change in quantisation step size by afactor of p (where p is an integer greater than 1). In the presentembodiments, m=6 and p=2.

In embodiments, as discussed above, a maximum luminance quantisationparameter is 51; a maximum chrominance quantisation parameter is 45 forthe 4:2:2 format; and a maximum chrominance quantisation parameter is 51for the 4:4:4 format.

In embodiments, the first and second offsets can be communicated inassociation with the encoded video data.

In 4:2:0 the transform matrices A are initially created (by thetransform unit 340) from those of a true normalised N×N DCT A′ using:

A _(ij) =int(64×√{square root over (N)}×A′ _(ij))

where i and j indicate a position within the matrix. This scaling withrespect to a normalised transform matrix provides an increase inprecision, avoids the need for fractional calculations and increases theinternal precision.

Ignoring differences due to rounding of Aij, since X is multiplied byboth A and A^(T) (the transposition of the matrix A) the resultingcoefficients differ from those of a true normalised M×N (M=height;N=width) DCT by a common scaling factor of:

(64×√{square root over (N)})(64×√{square root over (M)})=4096√{squareroot over (N)}√{square root over (M)}

Note that the common scaling factor could be different to this example.Note also that matrix multiplying by both A and A^(T) can be carried outin various ways, such as the so-called Butterfly method. The significantfact is whether the operation that is carried out is equivalent to atraditional matrix multiplication, not whether it is performed in aparticular traditional order of operations.

This scaling factor is equivalent to a binary left-shift bitwiseoperation by a number of bits transformShift, since in HEVC this resultsin a power of 2:

transformShift=(12+0.5 log₂(N)+0.5 log₂(M))

To reduce the requirement on internal bit-precision, the coefficientsare right-shifted (using positive rounding) twice during the transformprocess:

shift1=log₂(N)+bitDepth−9

shift2=log₂(M)+6

As a result, the coefficients as they leave the forward transformprocess and enter the quantiser are effectively left-shifted by:

$\begin{matrix}{{resultingShift} = {\left( {12 + {0.5\; {\log_{2}({NM})}}} \right) - \left( {{{shift}\; 1} + {{shift}\; 2}} \right)}} \\{= {\left( {12 + {0.5\; {\log_{2}(N)}} + {0.5\; {\log_{2}(M)}}} \right) -}} \\{\left( {{\log_{2}(N)} + {bitDepth} - 9 + {\log_{2}(M)} + 6} \right)} \\{= {15 - \left( {{0.5\; {\log_{2}(N)}} + {0.5\; {\log_{2}(M)}} + {bitDepth}} \right)}}\end{matrix}$

In 4:2:0, the frequency separated (for example, DCT) coefficientsgenerated by the frequency transform are a factor of(2^(resultingShift)) larger than those that a normalised DCT wouldproduce.

In some embodiments, the blocks are either square or rectangular with a2:1 aspect ratio. Therefore, for a block size of N×M, either:

N=M, in which case, resultingShift is an integer and S=N=M=sqrt(NM); or

0.5N=2M or 2N=0.5M, in which case resultingShift is still an integer andS=sqrt(NM)

resultingShift=15−(0.5 log₂(N)+0.5log₂(M)+bitDepth)=15−(log₂(S)+bitDepth)

The coefficients are subsequently quantised, where the quantisingdivisor is derived according to the quantisation parameter QP.

Note that resultingShift is equivalent to an integer, so the commonscaling factor is an integer power of 2, the overall left-shift‘resultingShift’ of the transform process is also accounted for at thisstage by applying an equal but opposite right-shift,‘quantTransformRightShift’.

This bit-shift operation is possible because resultingShift is aninteger.

Also note that the divisor-QP (quantisation parameter or index)relationship follows a base-2 power curve, as mentioned above, in thatan increase in QP by 6 has the effect of doubling the divisor whereas anincrease in QP by 3 has the effect of increasing the divisor by a factorof sqrt(2) (square root of 2).

Due to the chroma format in 4:2:2, there are more TU width:height (N:M)ratios:

N=M (from before) where S=N=M=sqrt(NM) (resultingShift is an integer)

0.5N=2M and 2N=0.5M, (from before), where S=sqrt(NM) (resultingShift isan integer)

N=2M where S=sqrt(NM)

2M=N where S=sqrt(NM)

4N=0.5M where S=sqrt(NM)

resultingShift=15−(log₂(S)+bitDepth)

In these latter three situations, resultingShift is not an integer. Forexample, this may apply where at least some of the blocks of video datasamples comprise M×N samples, where the square root of N/M is not equalto an integer power of 2. Such block sizes can occur in respect ofchroma samples in some of the present embodiments.

Accordingly, in such instances, the following techniques are relevant,that is to say, in video coding or decoding methods, apparatus orprograms operable to generate blocks of quantised spatial frequency databy performing frequency-transformation on blocks of video data samplesusing a transform matrix comprising an array of integer values which areeach scaled with respect to respective values of a normalized transformmatrix by an amount dependent upon a dimension of the transform matrix,and to quantise the spatial frequency data according to a selectedquantisation step size, having the step of frequency-transforming ablock of video data samples by matrix-multiplying the block by thetransform matrix and the transposition of the transform matrix togenerate a block of scaled spatial frequency coefficients which are eachlarger, by a common scaling factor (for example, resultingShifft), thanthe spatial frequency coefficients which would result from a normalizedfrequency-transformation of that block of video data samples.

Therefore at the quantisation stage, an appropriate bit-shift operationcannot be used to cancel out the operation in a simple manner.

A solution to this is proposed as follows:

At the quantiser stage, apply a right shift:

quantTransformRightShift=15−log 2(S′)−bitDepth

Where the value S′ is derived such that

resultingShift−quantTransformRightShift=+½

-   -   quantTransformRightShift is an integer

The difference between shifts of ½ is equivalent to multiplication bysqrt(2), i.e. at this point the coefficients are sqrt(2) times largerthan they should be, making the bit shift an integer bit shift.

For the quantisation process, apply a quantisation parameter of (QP+3),meaning that the quantising divisor is effectively increased by a factorof sqrt(2), thus cancelling out the sqrt(2) scale factor from theprevious step.

Accordingly, these steps can be summarised (in the context of a videocoding or decoding method (or corresponding apparatus or program)operable to generate blocks of quantised spatial frequency data byperforming frequency-transformation on blocks of video data samplesusing a transform matrix comprising an array of integer values which areeach scaled with respect to respective values of a normalized transformmatrix, and to quantise the spatial frequency data according to aselected quantisation step size, involving frequency-transforming ablock of video data samples by matrix-multiplying the block by thetransform matrix and the transposition of the transform matrix togenerate a block of scaled spatial frequency coefficients which are eachlarger, by a common scaling factor, than the spatial frequencycoefficients which would result from a normalizedfrequency-transformation of that block of video data samples) asfollows: selecting a quantisation step size for quantising the spatialfrequency coefficients; applying an n-bit shift (for example,quantTransformRightShift) to divide each of the scaled spatial frequencycoefficients by a factor of 2^(n), where n is an integer; and detectinga residual scaling factor (for example,resultingShift-quantTransformRightShift), being the common scalingfactor divided by 2^(n). For example, in the situation discussed above,the quantisation step size is then according to the residual scalingfactor to generate a modified quantisation step size; and each of thescaled spatial frequency coefficients in the block is divided by a valuedependent upon the modified quantisation step size and rounding theresult to an integer value, to generate the block of quantised spatialfrequency data. As discussed, the modification of the quantisation stepsize can be carried out simply by adding an offset to QP so as to selecta different quantisation step size when QP is mapped into the table ofquantisation step sizes.

The coefficients are now of the correct magnitude for the original QP.

The transform matrix can comprise an array of integer values which areeach scaled with respect to respective values of a normalized transformmatrix by an amount dependent upon a dimension of the transform matrix.

It follows that the required value for S′ can always be derived asfollows:

S′=sqrt(2*M*N)

As an alternative proposal, S′ could be derived such that:

resultingShift−quantTransformRightShift=−½

In this case, S′=sqrt(½*M*N), and the applied quantisation parameter is(QP−3)

In either of these cases, (adding 3 to QP or subtracting 3 from QP), thestep of selecting the quantisation step size comprises selecting aquantisation index (for example, QP), the quantisation index defining arespective entry in a table of quantisation step sizes, and themodifying step comprises changing the quantisation index so as to selecta different quantisation step size, such that the ratio of the differentquantisation step size to the originally selected quantisation step sizeis substantially equal to the residual scaling factor.

This works particularly well where, as in the present embodiments,successive values of the quantisation step sizes in the table arerelated logarithmically, so that a change in quantisation index (forexample, QP) of m (where m is an integer) represents a change inquantisation step size by a factor of p (where p is an integer greaterthan 1). In the present embodiments, m=6 and p=2, so that an increase of6 in QP represents a doubling of the applied quantisation step size, anda decrease in QP of 6 represents a halving of the resulting quantisationstep size.

As discussed above, the modification can be carried out by selecting aquantisation index (for example, a base QP) in respect of luminancesamples; generating a quantisation index offset, relative to thequantisation index selected for the luminance samples, for samples ofeach or both chrominance components; changing the quantisation indexoffset according to the residual scaling factor; and communicating thequantisation index offset in association with the coded video data. Inembodiments of HEVC, QP offsets for the two chroma channels are sent inthe bit stream. These steps correspond to a system in which the QPoffset (to account for the residual scaling factor) of +/−3 could beincorporated into these offsets, or they could beincremented/decremented when they are used to derive the chroma QP.

Note that the QP offset does not have to be +/−3 if differently shapedblocks were used; it is just that +/−3 represents an offset applicableto the block shapes and aspect ratios discussed above in respect of4:2:2 video, for example.

In some embodiments, n (the bit shift as applied) is selected so that2^(n) is greater than or equal to the common scaling factor. In otherembodiments, n is selected so that 2^(n) is less than or equal to thecommon scaling factor. In embodiments (using either of thesearrangements), a bit shift n can be selected so as to be the nextnearest (in either direction) to the common scaling factor, so that theresidual scaling factor represents a factor having a magnitude of lessthan 2.

In other embodiments, the modification of the quantisation step size cansimply be performed by multiplying the quantisation step size by afactor dependent upon the residual scaling factor. That is to say, themodification need not involve modifying the index QP.

Note also that the quantisation step size as discussed is notnecessarily the actual quantisation step size by which a transformedsample is divided. The quantisation step size derived in this way can befurther modified. For example, in some arrangements, the quantisationstep size is further modified by respective entries in a matrix ofvalues (Qmatrix) so that different final quantisation step sizes areused at different coefficient positions in a quantised block ofcoefficients.

It is also notable that in the 4:2:0 scheme, the largest chroma TU is16×16, whereas for the 4:2:2 scheme 16×32 TUs are possible, and for the4:4:4 scheme, 32×32 chroma TUs are possible. Consequently in anembodiment quantisation matrices (Qmatrices) for 32×32 chroma TUs areproposed. Similarly, Qmatrices should be defined for non-square TUs suchas the 16×32 TU, with one embodiment being the subsampling of a largersquare Q matrix

Qmatrices could be defined by any one of the following:

(i) values in a grid (as for 4×4 and 8×8 Qmatrices);

(ii) interpolated spatially from respective smaller or larger matrices;in HEVC larger Qmatrices can be derived from respective groups ofcoefficients of smaller reference ones, or smaller matrices can besub-sampled from larger matrices (either by discarding somecoefficients, or by applying a subsampling filter to respective groupsof coefficients). In either case, the technique represents an example ofdefining one or more quantisation matrices as one or more predeterminedmodifications with respect to one or more reference quantisationmatrices defined for a reference one of the channels. Note that thisinterpolation or subsampling can (in some embodiments) be carried outwithin a channel ratio—for example, a larger matrix for a channel ratiocan be interpolated from a smaller one for that channel ratio, and/ormatrices for one channel ratio or chrominance subsampling format can bederived in this manner from those for another channel ratio. The filtercoefficients or taps, or the identification of which values to retain(in the simple subsampling arrangement) used in the interpolation orsubsampling process can be set in advance, and so already known to bothencoder and decoder, or can be sent from the encoder to the decoder withthe encoded bitstream. The coefficients can be defined by matrixpositions relative to an output matrix position. But in either instance,they are considered to be predetermined as they are in place beforebeing applied.

(iii) relative to other Qmatrices (for example, by applying differencevalues, or deltas); hence only the deltas (differences) need to be sent.

Taking a small example just for illustrative purposes, a particularmatrix for one channel ratio could be defined, such as (for example) a4×4 matrix in respect of 4:2:0

-   -   (a b)    -   (c d)

where a, b, c and d are respective coefficients. This acts as areference matrix, and applies to a reference one of the chrominancesubsampling formats (4:2:0 in this example).

Embodiments can then define a set of difference values for asimilar-sized matrix for use in respect of another channel ratio:

-   -   (diff1 diff2)    -   (diff3 diff4)

so that in order to generate the Qmatrix for the other channel ratio,the matrix of differences is matrix-added to the reference matrix. Notethat the differences could be sent from encoder to decoder, or thedifferences could be predetermined. But in either situation, themodifications are in place before they are applied at the decoder, andso the modifications as applied to the reference matrix are consideredas predetermined modifications.

(iv) instead of differences, a matrix of multiplicative factors could bedefined (that is, pre-defined at encoder and decoder or shared betweenencoder and decoder) for the other channel ratio, such that either (i)the matrix of multiplicative factors is matrix-multiplied with thereference matrix to generate the Qmatrix for the other channel ratio, or(ii) each coefficient in the reference matrix is individually multipliedby a respective factor at a corresponding matrix position to generatethe Qmatrix for the other channel ratio.

(iv) as a function of another Qmatrix (for the same or another channelratio); for example a scaling ratio relative to another matrix (so thateach of a, b, c and d in the above example is multiplied by the samefactor, or has the same difference added to it). This reduces the datarequirements for storing (in the case of pre-defined data) ortransmitting (in the case of shared data) the difference or factor data.In such arrangements only the coefficients of the functions need to besent (such as the scaling ratio), the functions themselves (addition,multiplication, matrix multiplication and so on) being predetermined.

(v) as an equation/function (e.g. piece-wise linear curve, exponential,polynomial) with respect to another matrix for the same or anotherchannel ratio; the function itself can be predetermined (predefined asbetween encoder and decoder, or sent with the bitstream from encoder todecoder) so that in some arrangements only the coefficients of theequations need to be sent to derive the matrix. An example of apolynomial function is y=x−0.1×², where y is an output Qmatrixcoefficient and x is a corresponding coefficient of the Qmatrix fromwhich the output matrix is being derived. In this example case, the datasent as part of the bitstream to define the function could be in thefollowing form: {[matrix ID], 0, 0, 0, −0.1, 1, 0}, where [matrix ID]indicates the reference matrix, and the numerical values indicate thefactors applied to successive powers of x in the above equation, from x⁵down to x⁰.

(vi) any combination of the above. For example, each of a, b, c and dcould in fact be defined by a function which could also include adependence upon the coefficient position (i,j) within the matrix. (i, j)could represent, for example, the coefficient position from left toright followed by the coefficient position from top to bottom of thematrix. An example is:

coefficient_(i,j)=3i+2j

In each of the above examples, data defining the predeterminedmodifications to the reference matrix can be expressed asmodification-indicator data which is, for example, pre-stored at boththe encoder and decoder or transmitted from encoder to decoder as partof (or associated with) the compressed bitstream.

Note that Qmatrices can be referred to as Scaling Lists within the HEVCenvironment. In embodiments in which the quantisation is applied afterthe scanning process, the scanned data may be a linear stream ofsuccessive data samples. In such instances, the concept of a Qmatrixstill applies, but the matrix (or Scanning List) may be considered as a1×N matrix, such that the order of the N data values within the 1×Nmatrix corresponds to the order of scanned samples to which therespective Qmatrix value is to be applied. In other words, there is a1:1 relationship between data order in the scanned data, spatialfrequency according to the scan pattern, and data order in the 1×NQmatrix.

Note that it is possible, in some implementations, to bypass or omit theDCT (frequency separation) stage, but to retain the quantisation stage.

Other useful information includes an optional indicator of to whichother matrix the values are related, i.e. the previous channel or thefirst (primary) channel; for example the matrix for Cr could be a scaledfactor of a matrix for Y, or for Cb, as indicated.

The techniques defined above could be used as follows.

The 16×16 and 32×32 scaling lists for the 4:4:4 channel ratio can bederived by a predetermined modification (sample repeat) from arespective 8×8 scaling list. In some arrangements, the source orreference scaling lists for these two sizes are different. But in otherarrangements, the source or reference scaling list is the same for boththe 16×16 and 32×32 derivations. So, in the example of a 1×N referencescaling list (here defined in a Z/Morton scan order for clarity,although HEVC currently uses a diagonal scan order) for 8×8 {c₁, c₂, c₃. . . }, the corresponding 16×16 scaling list could be expressed as {c₁,c₁, c₁, c₁, c₂, c₂, c₂, c₂, c₃ . . . } and the corresponding 32×32scaling list could be expressed as {c₁, c₁, c₁, c₁, c₁, c₁, c₁, c₁, c₁,c₁, c₁, c₁c₁, c₁, c₁, c₁, c₂, c₂, c₂, c₂, c₂, c₂, c₂, c₂, c₂, c₂, c₂,c₂, c₂, c₂, c₂, c₂, c₃ . . . }. Accordingly, here the predeterminedmodification may be expressed, with respect to a single reference matrixor scaling list, as “use the coefficient at position A for a certain setof positions A₁ . . . A_(n) in the output matrix”. This arrangement ofusing the same reference matrix for the 16×16 and 32×32 matrices can begeneralised to any of the functions discussed above, not just a simplesample repeat function. In embodiments of the disclosure, other matrices(for other block sizes, for example) are derived from one or moredifferent respective reference matrices.

Note that the function of deriving a matrix or scaling list from anothermatrix or scaling list could be carried out by the controller 343 and/orby the quantiser 350 or dequantiser 420, acting as a matrix generator.Note that the transmission of modification-indicating data from theencoder to the decoder, and the reception at the decoder, can be carriedout by the controller 343 acting as a data transmitter and/or a datareceiver respectively.

FIG. 32 is a schematic flow diagram illustrating part of a compression(coding) or decompression (decoding) technique discussed above. At astep 2000, one or more quantisation matrices or scaling lists aredefined or generated as one or more predetermined modifications withrespect to one or more reference quantisation matrices defined for areference one of the chrominance subsampling formats. At a step 2010,the frequency-separated video data are quantised using that matrix.

FIG. 33 is a schematic flow diagram illustrating part of a compression(coding) or decompression (decoding) technique discussed above. At astep 2020, for at least one of the chrominance subsampling formats,matrix coefficients of one or more quantisation matrices are defined orgenerated as a function of the coefficient position within the matrix.At a step 2030, the frequency-separated video data are quantised usingthat matrix.

FIG. 34 is a schematic flow diagram illustrating part of a compression(coding) or decompression (decoding) technique discussed above. At astep 2040, quantisation matrices for use in respect of at least two ofthe block sizes are defined or generated as one or more predeterminedmodifications with respect to a single reference quantisation matrix. Ata step 2050, the frequency-separated video data are quantised using thatmatrix.

Accordingly, embodiments can provide a video coding or decoding method(and a corresponding apparatus or computer program) operable to generateblocks of quantised spatial frequency data by (optionally) performingfrequency-transformation on blocks of video data samples and quantisingthe video data (such as the spatial frequency data) according to aselected quantisation step size and a matrix of data modifying thequantisation step size for use at different respective block positionswithin an ordered block of samples (such as an ordered block offrequency-transformed samples), the method being operable with respectto at least two different chrominance subsampling formats.

For at least one of the chrominance subsampling formats, one or morequantisation matrices are defined as one or more predeterminedmodifications with respect to one or more reference quantisationmatrices defined for a reference one of the chrominance subsamplingformats.

In embodiments, the defining step comprises defining one or morequantisation matrices as a matrix of values each interpolated from arespective plurality of values of a reference quantisation matrix. Inother embodiments, the defining step comprises defining one or morequantisation matrices as a matrix of values each subsampled from valuesof a reference quantisation matrix.

In embodiments, the defining step comprises defining one or morequantisation matrices as a matrix of differences with respect tocorresponding values of a reference quantisation matrix.

In embodiments, the defining step comprises defining one or morequantisation matrices as a predetermined function of values of areference quantisation matrix. In such instances, the predeterminedfunction may be a polynomial function.

In embodiments, one or both of the following is provided, for example aspart of or in association with the coded video data: (i)reference-indicator data to indicate, with respect to encoded videodata, the reference quantisation matrix; and (ii) modification-indicatordata to indicate, with respect to encoded data values, the one or morepredetermined modifications.

These techniques are particularly applicable where two of thechrominance subsampling formats are 4:4:4 and 4:2:2 formats.

The number of Q Matrices in HEVC 4:2:0 is currently 6 for each transformsize: 3 for the corresponding channels, and one set for intra and forinter. In the case of a 4:4:4 GBR scheme, it will be appreciated thateither one set of quantisation matrices could be used for all channels,or three respective sets of quantisation matrices could be used.

In embodiments, at least one of the matrices is a 1×N matrix. This wouldbe the case in (as described here) one or more of the matrices is infact a Scaling List or the like, being a linear 1×N ordered array ofcoefficients.

The proposed solutions involve incrementing or decrementing the appliedQP. However this could be achieved in a number of ways: In HEVC, QPoffsets for the two chroma channels are sent in the bit stream. The +/−3could be incorporated into these offsets, or they could beincremented/decremented when they are used to derive the chroma QP.

As discussed, above, in HEVC, (luma QP+chroma offset) is used as anindex to a table in order to derive the chroma QP. This table could bemodified to incorporate the +/−3 (i.e. by incrementing/decrementing thevalues of the original table by 3) After the chroma QP has been derived,as per the normal HEVC process, the results could then be incremented(or decremented) by 3.

As an alternative to modifying the QP, a factor of sqrt(2) or 1/sqrt(2)can be used to modify the quantisation coefficients.

For forward/inverse quantisation, the division/multiplication processesare implemented by using (QP % 6) as an index to a table to obtain aquantisation coefficient or quantisation step size,inverseQStep/scaledQStep. (Here, QP % 6 signifies QP modulo 6). Notethat, as discussed above, this may not represent the final quantisationstep size which is applied to the transformed data; it may be furthermodified by the Qmatrices before use.

The default tables in HEVC are of length 6, covering an octave (adoubling) of values. This is simply a means of reducing storagerequirements; the tables are extended for actual use by selecting anentry in the table according to the modulus of QP (mod 6) and thenmultiplying or dividing by an appropriate power of 2, dependent upon thedifference of (QP−QP modulus 6) from a predetermined base value.

This arrangement could be varied to allow for the offset of +/−3 in theQP value. The offset can be applied in the table look-up process, or themodulus process discussed above could instead be carried out using themodified QP. Assuming the offset is applied at the table look-up,however, additional entries in the table can be provided as follows: Onealternative is to extend the tables by 3 entries, where the new entriesare as follows (for the index values of 6-8).

The example table shown in FIG. 30 would be indexed by [(QP % 6)+3] (a“QP increment method”), where the notation QP % 6 signifies “QP modulus6”.

The example table shown in FIG. 31 would be indexed by [(QP % 6)−3] (a“QP decrement method”), having extra entries for the index values of −1to −3:

Entropy Encoding

Basic entropy encoding comprises assigning codewords to input datasymbols, where the shortest available codewords are assigned to the mostprobable symbols in the input data. On average the result is a losslessbut much smaller representation of the input data.

This basic scheme can be improved upon further by recognising thatsymbol probability is often conditional on recent prior data, andconsequently making the assignment process context adaptive.

In such a scheme, context variables (CVs) are used to determine thechoice of respective probability models, and such CVs are provided forin the HEVC 4:2:0 scheme.

To extend entropy encoding to the 4:2:2 scheme, which for example willuse 4×8 chroma TUs rather than 4×4 TUs for an 8×8 luma TU, optionallythe context variables can be provided for by simply vertically repeatingthe equivalent CV selections.

However, in an embodiment the CV selections are not repeated for thetop-left coefficients (i.e. the high-energy, DC and/or low spatialfrequency coefficients), and instead new CVs are derived. In this case,for example, a mapping may be derived from the luma map. This approachmay also be used for the 4:4:4 scheme.

During coding, in the 4:2:0 scheme, a so-called zig-scan scans throughthe coefficients in order from high to low frequencies. However, againit is noted that the chroma TUs in the 4:2:2 scheme can be non-square,and so in an embodiment a different chroma scan is proposed with theangle of the scan be tilted to make it more horizontal, or moregenerally, responsive to the aspect ratio of the TU.

Similarly, the neighbourhood for significance map CV selection and thec1/c2 system for greater-than-one and greater-than-two CV selection maybe adapted accordingly.

Likewise, in an embodiment the last significant coefficient position(which becomes the start point during decoding) could also be adjustedfor the 4:4:4 scheme, with last-significant positions for chroma TUsbeing coded differentially from the last-significant position in theco-located luma TU.

The coefficient scanning can also be made prediction mode dependent forcertain TU sizes. Hence a different scan order can be used for some TUsizes dependent on the intra-prediction mode.

In the 4:2:0 scheme, mode dependent coefficient scanning (MDCS) is onlyapplied for 4×4/8×8 luma TUs and 4×4 chroma TUs for intra prediction.MDCS is used dependent on the intra-prediction mode, with angles +/−4from the horizontal and vertical being considered.

In an embodiment, it is proposed that in the 4:2:2 scheme MDCS isapplied to 4×8 and 8×4 chroma TUs for intra prediction. Similarly, it isproposed that in the 4:4:4 scheme MDCS is applied to 8×8 and 4×4 chromaTUs. MDCS for 4:2:2 may only be done in the horizontal or verticaldirections, and that the angle ranges may differ for 4:4:4 chroma vs.4:4:4 luma vs. 4:2:2 chroma vs. 4:2:2 luma vs. 4:2:0 luma.

In-Loop Filters

Deblocking

Deblocking is applied to all CU, PU and TU boundaries, and the CU/PU/TUshape is not taken into account. The filter strength and size isdependent on local statistics, and deblocking has a granularity of 8×8Luma pixels.

Consequently it is anticipated that the current deblocking applied forthe 4:2:0 scheme should also be applicable for the 4:2:2 and 4:4:4schemes.

Sample Adaptive Offsetting

In sample adaptive offsetting (SAO) each channel is completelyindependent. SAO splits the image data for each channel using aquad-tree, and the resulting blocks are at least one LCU in size. Theleaf blocks are aligned to LCU boundaries and each leaf can run in oneof three modes, as determined by the encoder (“Central band offset”,“Side band offset” or “Edge offset”). Each leaf categorises its pixels,and the encoder derives an offset value for each of the 16 categories bycomparing the SAO input data to the source data. These offsets are sentto the decoder. The offset for a decoded pixel's category is added toits value to minimise the deviation from the source.

In addition, SAO is enabled or disabled at picture level; if enabled forluma, it can also be enabled separately for each chroma channel. SAOwill therefore be applied to chroma only if it is applied to luma.

Consequently the process is largely transparent to the underlying blockscheme and it is anticipated that the current SAO applied for the 4:2:0scheme should also be applicable for the 4:2:2 and 4:4:4 schemes.

Adaptive Loop Filtering

In the 4:2:0 scheme, adaptive loop filtering (ALF) is disabled bydefault. However, in principle (i.e. if allowed) then ALF would beapplied to the entire picture for chroma.

In ALF, luma samples may be sorted into one of a number of categories,as determined by the HEVC documents; each category uses a differentWiener-based filter.

By contrast, in 4:2:0 chroma samples are not categorised—there is justone Wiener-based filter for Cb, and one for Cr.

Hence in an embodiment, in light of the increased chroma information inthe 4:2:2 and 4:4:4 schemes, it is proposed that the chroma samples arecategorised; for example with K categories for 4:2:2 and J categoriesfor 4:4:4.

Whilst in the 4:2:0 scheme ALF can be disabled for luma on a per-CUbasis using an ALF control flag (down to the CU-level specified by theALF control depth), it can only be disabled for chroma on a per-picturebasis. Note that in HEVC, this depth is currently limited to the LCUlevel only.

Consequently in an embodiment, the 4:2:2 and 4:4:4 schemes are providedwith one or two channel specific ALF control flags for chroma.

Syntax

In HEVC, syntax is already present to indicate 4:2:0, 4:2:2 or 4:4:4schemes, and is indicated at the sequence level. However, in anembodiment it is proposed to also indicate 4:4:4 GBR coding at thislevel.

Data Signals

It will be appreciated that data signals generated by the variants ofcoding apparatus discussed above, and storage or transmission mediacarrying such signals, are considered to represent embodiments of thepresent disclosure.

In so far as embodiments of the disclosure have been described as beingimplemented, at least in part, by software-controlled data processingapparatus, it will be appreciated that a non-transitory machine-readablemedium carrying such software, such as an optical disk, a magnetic disk,semiconductor memory or the like, is also considered to represent anembodiment of the present disclosure.

It will be apparent that numerous modifications and variations of thepresent disclosure are possible in light of the above teachings. It istherefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims,the technology may be practiced otherwise than as specifically describedherein.

1. (canceled) 2: A video decoding method for decoding both video in4:2:0 video format and 4:4:4 video format, the video decoding methodcomprising: generating, by decoding circuitry, blocks of dequantizedspatial frequency data by: dequantizing coefficients representing videodata according to a selected quantization step size, and generating amatrix of data modifying the quantization step size for use at differentrespective block positions within an ordered block of samples for atleast two different block sizes; determining quantization matrices foruse with at least two of the block sizes, the quantization matricesbeing scaling lists for a 4:4:4 video format; determining a firstquantization matrix for a 32×32 chroma block of samples with respect toa first modification of a first scaling list for quantization of a blockof samples smaller than 32×32; and determining, for blocks of anotherblock size different than the 32×32 chroma block of samples, a secondquantization matrix by modifying a second scaling list according to asecond modification, wherein the second scaling list is different fromthe first scaling list, and the first scaling list is a referencescaling list for decoding video in 4:2:0 video format. 3: The videodecoding method as claimed in claim 2, further comprising using thefirst scaling list for decoding video in 4:2:0 video format. 4: Thevideo decoding method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the referencescaling list is for quantization of a block of samples smaller than32×32 in respect of video in 4:4:4 video format. 5: The video decodingmethod as claimed in claim 2, wherein the modifying the second scalinglist comprises sample repeats. 6: The video decoding method as claimedin claim 2, wherein the first scaling list is for quantization of ablock of chroma samples in respect of video in the 4:4:4 video format.7: The video decoding method as claimed in claim 2, further comprisingretrieving modification indicator data that defines the first and secondmodifications. 8: The video decoding method as claimed in claim 2,wherein each of the first and second scaling lists have 8×8 valuesexpressed in a 1×N matrix. 9: The video decoding method as claimed inclaim 2, wherein the first scaling list has 8×8 values expressed in a1×N matrix and the first modification repeats samples of the firstscaling list to form a 32×32 quantization matrix. 10: The video decodingmethod as claimed in claim 2, wherein the first scaling list is forquantization of a 16×16 block of samples. 11: The video decoding methodas claimed in claim 2, wherein a third quantization matrix forquantizing an 8×8 block of samples is an 8×8 scaling list. 12: The videodecoding method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the first modificationchanges a size of the first scaling list, and the second modificationchanges a size of the second scaling list. 13: A non-transitory computerreadable medium storing computer executable instructions that, whenexecuted by circuitry of a computer, cause the computer to perform thevideo decoding method according to claim
 2. 14: A video decodingapparatus, comprising: decoding circuitry configured to decode bothvideo in 4:2:0 video format and 4:4:4 video format generate blocks ofdequantized spatial frequency data by: dequantizing coefficientsrepresenting video data according to a selected quantization step size,and generating a matrix of data modifying the quantization step size foruse at different respective block positions within an ordered block ofsamples for at least two different block sizes; determine quantizationmatrices for use with at least two of the block sizes, the quantizationmatrices being scaling lists for a 4:4:4 video format; determine a firstquantization matrix for a 32×32 chroma block of samples with respect toa first modification of a first scaling list for quantization of a blockof samples smaller than 32×32; and determine, for blocks of anotherblock size different than the 32×32 chroma block of samples, a secondquantization matrix by modifying a second scaling list according to asecond modification, wherein the second scaling list is different fromthe first scaling list, and the first scaling list is a referencescaling list for decoding video in 4:2:0 video format. 15: The videodecoding apparatus as claimed in claim 14, wherein the decodingcircuitry is configured to use the first scaling list for decoding videoin 4:2:0 video format. 16: The video decoding apparatus as claimed inclaim 15, wherein the decoding circuitry is configured to quantize of ablock of samples smaller than 32×32 in respect of video in 4:4:4 videoformat using the reference scaling list. 17: The video decodingapparatus as claimed in claim 14, wherein the decoding circuitrymodifies the second scaling list by sample repeats. 18: The videodecoding apparatus as claimed in claim 14, wherein the decodingcircuitry is configured to quantize of a block of chroma samples usingthe first scaling list. 19: The video decoding apparatus as claimed inclaim 14, wherein the decoding circuitry is further configured toretrieve modification indicator data that defines the first and secondmodifications. 20: The video decoding apparatus as claimed in claim 14,wherein each of the first and second scaling lists have 8×8 valuesexpressed in a 1×N matrix. 21: The video decoding apparatus as claimedin claim 14, wherein the first scaling list has 8×8 values expressed ina 1×N matrix and the first modification repeats samples of the firstscaling list to form a 32×32 quantization matrix. 22: The video decodingapparatus as claimed in claim 14, wherein the first scaling list is forquantization of a 16×16 block of samples. 23: The video decodingapparatus as claimed in claim 14, wherein a third quantization matrixfor quantizing an 8×8 block of samples is an 8×8 scaling list. 24: Avideo receiver comprising the video decoding apparatus as claim in claim14. 25: An image capture apparatus comprising: an image sensor; adisplay; and the video decoding apparatus as claimed in claim 14 whichoutputs decoded video to the display.